People Gonna Talk
by JA Baker
Summary: Everyone seemed to know that they were in love before they did, and much to Korra and Asami's surprise, they were right. Unfortunately, real life isn't as easy as trashy romance novels would have you believe... (AU set after the end of Book Three)
1. People Gonna Talk

The Legend of Korra _was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, __and is owned by someone not me.  
><em>_All recognisable characters, events and locations are likewise owned by someone not me.  
><em>_Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.  
><em>_This is my first attempt at _Avatar_ related fan-fiction.  
><em>_Please enjoy._

**People Gonna Talk**

Asami was the first to notice that people were acting differently around them, but she put it down to wanting to give Korra time and space to recover. And while the young Avatar was still confined to a wheelchair, she was at least starting to regain some of her physical strength, which was starting to lift her out of the depression she had fallen into after her almost fatal battle with Zaheer and his Red Lotus organisation. But she was still somewhat fragile, both physically and emotionally, so the rest of their little group decided to give her support, but allow her time to heal. Unfortunately, that meant that Tenzin and Lin spent most of their time running interference to keep President Raiko from bothering Korra, Pema was busy with the younger children, Mako and Bolin were hunting down any Red Lotus members they could find in or around Republic City, Tonraq had returned to the Southern Water Tribe to try and keep order, Suyin had been forced to return to Zaofu to try and stave off the chaos that was engulfing the Earth Kingdom, Bumi was off doing something for the United Forces that no one was really willing to talk about openly, and Kya had left for one of the emergency camps set up along the border between the United Republic and the Earth Kingdom to try and help heal the injured refugees fleeing the growing anarchy that was verging on all-out civil war.

All that left only Asami and Naga to help Korra, the former having taken a leave of absence from running Future Industries to help her friend. Taking a room next to Korras, Asami spent almost every waking moment at her friends side, refusing to let the Avatar slip any deeper into disrepair. It had been difficult; at first, Korra hadn't the strength to comb her own hair, but Asami had stuck to her guns, refusing to back down and took every insult and curse Korra could throw at her without even batting and eyelash. Naga had proved surprisingly helpful, her very presence an emotional rock for Korra to hold on to. Asami had no idea if the polar bear dog _truly_ understood what was going on, but she appreciated the help anyway. And it was helpful: Korra couldn't bring herself to wallow in endless self-pity when she saw it was affecting Naga, and she had forced herself to be more upbeat and cheerful. This had in turn allowed her to realise that she was getting better, little by little, and that helped lift her out of the darkness that had threatened to consume her. Asami hadn't told anyone, but late one night, when she had taken a walk to try and clear her head, she'd found Korra sitting in her wheelchair by the dockside, apparently trying to gather the strength to take her own life. Asami had been so shocked and enraged that she had actually slapped the Avatar across the face before wheeling her back to her room, staying up all night just to keep an eye on her.

They hadn't spoken about it since, but it was clear that Korra was grateful for the intervention.

Bumi had been the first to actually say anything, simply commenting that Korra was very lucky to have someone special in her life when she needed it the most. Asami had assumed he meant as a friend, but there was an odd glint in the old soldiers eyes as he said it that had, at the time, struck her as slightly odd. Kya has elbowed her brother in the ribs and gave him a look that could have stopped a charging saber-tooth moose lion, and nothing more had been said. A few days later, one of the Air Acolytes asked, somewhat hesitantly, if she wanted her bed moved into Korra's room, and she had absent-mindedly replied that it wasn't necessary. For days after she'd noticed that she'd been getting off looks from the rest of the Air Acolytes and even the White Lotus guards, and it felt like the entire temple was walking on eggshells, until one brave young Acolyte had asked if everything was okay between her and Korra. Once assured that yes, everything was fine, there had been an unmistakable senses of relief across the entire island. Even Pema had given her a knowing smile.

Asami realised just what was going on the day she took Korra out for a walk around the island. The young Avatars strength had returned to the point where she felt that she could push herself back to the main temple from the far side of the island without any help. Asami had been reluctant to allow her to try, worried that even the smallest failure could crush her slowly rebuilding self-confidence. Korra had, inevitably, seen this as a challenge, and flat-out _insisted_ that she not only wheel herself back, but could do so while carrying Asami. Maybe it was the fact that Korra actually seemed to be genuinely happy for the first time in weeks, but Asami had reluctantly agreed, expecting to spent the journey hanging off the back of the wheelchair. But Korra had said something about not wanting her to cheat, and then pulled her very surprised friend down onto her lap and started off before she had a chance to react. Asami had little choice but to put both arms around Korras neck and hold on for dear life as they had rolled down the path far faster than she would have considered going even in her favourite Satomobile, let alone in something as rickety as Korras wheelchair. Despite this, Korras evident glee at actually doing something she had set her mind to had been infectious, and the two of them were soon laughing and cheering as they rocketed past startled Air Acolytes and one very surprised Tenzin, who almost fell face-first into a reflecting pool before he was able to steady himself with a quick bit of airbending.

They had arrived in the central courtyard at breakneck speed, the wheelchair threatening to topple over as they skidded to a halt, but Korra had wrapped her arms around Asami and shifted their weight to counterbalance them. They had hugged each-other, laughing like madmen, too caught up in the exhilaration of their shared experience to notice the fact that everyone was looking at them. But eventually they did notice, and while Korra put their looks down to a mixture of disbelief that the notoriously rambunctious Avatar had found a way to cause trouble even while unable to use her bending and a certain amount of jealousy that they'd never get way with doing it, Asami had caught a few winks and sly grins from some of the bolder observers, and it suddenly hit her what the two of them must have looked like. Then everything else came into sudden, sharp focus: everyone thought that she was with Korra.

That she was _with_ Korra.

That she was in a _relationship_ _with_ Korra.

That she was in a _romantic_ _relationship with_ Korra.

That her and Korra were a couple, or any other variation of the same basic premiss that you could care to come up with. Republic City was a cosmopolitanism place, and such relationships were not unheard of. Nor was Asami a prude or a bigot; she had no qualms with what two people got up to while alone, so long as neither party was hurt. But she'd never looked at another woman, let alone Korra, like that in her entire life. She was attracted to men, as her disastrous attempts at a relationship with Mako should have made clear to anyone who was paying attention. Korra was more like the sister she'd never had, her closest friend and confidant, yes, but never any more than that. Wasn't she?

Whatever the case, Korra seemed to be blissfully unaware of their supposed change in relationship, and Asami was simply too embarrassed to bring it up. She'd tried talking to Pema and Tenzin, but the Air Acolyte had simply patted her on the arm with a knowing smile, while her husband had blushed deep red and mumbled something about not being his place to say anything before making an excuse to head back to the city, post-hast. There was no point trying to talk to anyone else; aside from the children, who were apparently oblivious, everyone seemed to be completely convinced that the two of them were now officially a couple, even if they did avoid openly admiring it, no doubt to try and save them any embarrassment. Seemingly unable to do anything about it, Asami had decided to just do her best to ignore it and hope it all blew over before Korra twigged on.

Unfortunately, fate had other ideas.

Spring had arrived in Republic City, bringing with it unseasonably warm weather that Korra, a native of the South Pole, seemed intent on making the most of. She had begged and pleaded with Asami to take her down to one of the small, sandy beaches on the island, somewhere she could relax in the sun without the constant coming and going of newly discovered airbenders. Asami had been unable to say no to those big, puppy-dog eyes that her friend used whenever she _really_ wanted something. With Naga carrying a picnic hamper and other supplies, they had made their way down to one of the easier to reach but none the less secluded coves, and Asami had helped Korra out of her chair and down onto the warm sand while Naga played in the surf. Korra was still too weak to do much in the way of bending, but she was able to make a small but respectable sand-castle, even if the effort had taken more out of her than she cared to admit. Seeing that her friend was drained, Asami had suggested that they relax in the shade of a nearby tree and enjoy the warmth for a while, something Korra had been more than willing to agree to. With a little work, the two of them were soon relaxing in the shade, with only the soft lapping of the waves and the distant cry of a flock of toucan puffins for company.

Asami had never intended to fall asleep, but she found herself awoken by Naga shifting slightly, as if she had sensed something, and she opened her eyes to find Korra laying with her head resting on her friends lap, a contented smile on her face as she continued to sleep. Asami had been unwilling to wake her friend, and instead had simply brushed a few stray heirs from across her face. She couldn't help but smile; Korra seemed so relaxed, so happy, so much like her old self that possible to believe, just for a moment, that things were back to the way they had been before Zaheer had captured her. She wasn't sure why, but Asami felt compelled to lean down and plant a soft kiss on Korras forehead, just below her hairline.

"Are you happy now?" A familiar voice from somewhere on the rocks above and behind them surprised Asami, and she froze ridged, her lips still touching Korras head. "You just had to go and ruin _both of them_, didn't you?"

Slowly lifting her head back and turning to the side, Asami felt a growing sense of dread as she looked up to see Mako and Bolin looking down at them. The older of the two looked equal parts shocked and betrayed, while his younger brother looked amused. For a moment, it looked like Mako was going to say something, but then he just turned and stalked off back towards the temple.

"Sorry." Bolin smiled apologetically and winked, "We didn't realise we were interrupting some 'alone time'." He turned and strolled off with a friendly wave, "We'll see you at dinner."

Asami closed her eyes and uttered a string of curses under her breath; now she was going to _have_ to tell Korra.

It shouldn't have come as much of a surprise that Korra was not only amused by what Asami told her when she awoke an hour later, but actually seemed to find some perverse enjoyment out of her friends embarrassment. It soon became clear that she was going to enjoy this new notoriety, not missing a single opportunity to flaunt her 'relationship' with the beautiful young heiress to the Future Industries empire. And try as she might deny it, Asami had found herself actually enjoying it, even if she was convinced that it would all come back to bight them when the truth finally came out. But anything that helped raise Korras spirits and hasten her recovery was well worth the risk. And she was still young and carefree enough to enjoy the look on President Raiko's face when he invited himself to dinner one evening, only to find himself sitting across from Korra and Asami as they sat just a little bit closer together than etiquette traditionally allowed, which Korra only made worse by placing her hand on-top of Asami's as they drank tea afterwards. Under different circumstances, Asami would have sworn that Korra was marking her territory, so to speak, but it was all part of their little game, right?

Weeks passed in a blur of physical therapy sessions and jokes at the expense of anyone and everyone who came within range, and Asami noticed that Korra was spending more and more time alone in her room, and while she was no longer afraid that her friend might try and hurt herself again, she still felt an odd pang of jealousy that Korra had found something to do that she wasn't a part of. Then she had mentally kicked herself for thinking like that, reminding herself that she was, in no uncertain terms, most defiantly not in any kind of romantic relationship with her best friend!

Then, one night, as she stepped into her room, she saw a small box sitting on her bed. Opening it slowly, she gasped to see a beautiful necklaces inside, with four gemstones, each engraved with the symbol of one of the four elements; white opal for air, aquamarine for water, jet for earth and a red topaz for fire. She lifted it up and let the evening sunlight glisten off of the jewels, and she was shocked when she realised that it was a variation of a betrothal necklace, the traditional indication of an engagement in the Northern and Southern Water Tribes.

"You like it?" Korra's voice came from the doorway, the shock of her unheralded arrival almost making Asami drop the gift.

"I love it." Asami smiled, "It's beautiful."

"Good; it took me a long time to get each stone _just_ right." Korra wheeled herself across the room and pulled a surprised Asami down onto her lap. Taking the necklace from her friends hands, she carefully placed it around Asamis neck, the leather choker just the right length, "Figured that, as I'm the Avatar, the master of all four elements, that it wouldn't be right to just have a waterbending symbol."

"You went to all this, just to make fun of what people think?" Asami asked as she traced each symbol in turn with a fingertip.

"I've never cared what other people think." Korra captured Asami's face with one hand and gently pulled her down for a tender kiss, "But I want everyone to know that I'll never let go of what's most important to me..."

**The End**


	2. Everybody's Talkin'

_I did not intend to continue you this story, but having re-read the first part,  
><em>_I felt that there as still more to be told._

_The idea behind the story came from the rise of Korrasami shipping after the end of Book Three, and I have to admit, I count myself in that number._

_My take was simple; what if pretty much everyone in the _Avatar_ 'verse had the same idea,  
><em>_but no one got round to telling Korra and/or Asami?_

_Well, I told that story in part one, but that seems to have left more than a few questions unanswered, so here we go._

**Everybody's Talkin'**

Asami wasn't even sure she'd actually accepted Korra's somewhat unusual proposal: the Avatar had placed the choker round her neck, kissed her softly but passionately on the lips, and that was that.

They were officially engaged.

Asami wasn't even sure it was legal, for as cosmopolitanism as Republic City might have been, there were still those who held a more conservative view on the world, and they tended to gravitate towards positions of power and influence. There was nothing in the laws of the United Republic against them having a relationship, but they were both prominent, public figurers, so there was bound to be a few waves for them to ride out. Still, sleeping with Korra, waking up with their arms wrapped around each-other as the dawn sun rose over the distant mountains had been... nice. Better than nice, in fact; it had felt right, as if it was something she had been looking for her entire life without even realising it. And sleep was _all_ they had done, because even if they had been willing to push the envelope of their relationship further so quickly, Korra was still far from fully recovered and was still somewhat physically fragile. Even so, just laying there together in the moonlight, trading soft kisses and gentle caresses as they snuggled together under the blankets had felt better than anything Asami had ever experienced before. If even so little felt so good, then... well, it'd be interesting just to see just what happened.

When the time was right, of cause.

It was with no small sense of trepidation that she went to breakfast that first morning with the betrothal necklace clear for all the world to see, but she never once contemplated hiding it. While she still wasn't sure exactly what was going on between her and Korra, she had no intention of hiding the fact that yes, they were a couple. The communal dining room had fallen silent as Asami wheeled Korra in, the necklace suddenly feeling as heavy as an airship around her neck. Every pair of eyes, save Rohan, who was still too young to care about anything more complex then when his next meal was going to arrive, locked onto the necklace. Asami could see the cogs turning behind those eyes even as Korra reached up and took Asami's hand in her own. For better or for worse, everyone on the island would soon know that the relationship between the Avatar and the Heiress was no longer just an open secret. Pema had broken the silence, inviting them to sit, her words breaking the spell that had overcome the room, and everyone else returned to their normal morning routine, even if Tenzin still looked a little uncomfortable. If anything, the fact that no one had made much of a fuss about it all helped, but Air Temple Island was not a perfect microcosm of Republic City, let alone the wider world. Returning to her room that night, Assam had been surprised to discover that the Air Acolytes had been hard at work taking down the wall separating her room from Korras and finding them a double bed from somewhere. Naga had settled herself down in the hallway outside without the slightest prompting from either of them, which showed surprising insight from an animal that still had to be reminded _not_ to drink out of the toilet.

That night had been different: Korra had been exhausted by a hard day trying to regain the use of her legs, something she was becoming somewhat fixated on as her next big goal. So they had simply changed, stealing only half-hidden glances at each others bodies as they went, then climbed into bed to sleep. And Asami had been happy with that; just being close to Korra, to feeling the warmth of her body next to her own had been enough. But then she had been woken by Korra trashing about, her face contorted as she battled a nightmare. Naga had stirred outside, whining, but made no attempt to enter the room. It was all Asami could do to wrap her arms around Korra and hold her tight, whispering to her that it was okay, that she wasn't alone. It had been hard, given just how strong Korra was, even in her weakened state, but Asami had refused to let go, and eventually the nightmare ended, allowing Korra to return to a peaceful if fitful sleep. She'd felt uncomfortable asking about it the next morning, but felt that, if she was going to share her life with Korra, then she had to know everything. Korra had been reluctant to talk at first, but eventually confessed that she'd been reliving her battle with Zaheer, only he hadn't been alone; Amon, Unalaq and Vaatu had been there too, taunting her that she'd failed as the Avatar and that the world no longer wanted or needed her. She confessed that she'd suffered a similar hallucination as the Red Lotus had attempted to poison her, and that it had almost driven her to the point of giving in to death. It was clear to Asami that, as someone to whom most things had come so easy in life, Korra's greatest fear was failure. And that would be something far harder to overcome than the physical side of her injuries.

It hadn't been so bad when it was _just_ Air Temple Island; everyone there had already accepted the idea of their 'relationship' before there was even a relationship to accept. But it was still not something that was widely known to the outside world; the Air Acolytes and the White Lotus would rather die than betray the trust that had been placed in them, Mako and Bolin were still close friends, and Chief Beifong had made it perfectly clear to President Raiko just what she'd do to him if he attempted to make political capital out of what he'd seen during his infrequent visits. But they couldn't hide on the island forever; Asami would eventually have to return to Future Industries, and Korra was the Avatar, and the world needed her, even if it was just as a figurehead for others to rally around. It was, oddly enough, Raiko that presented the opportunity to test the waters. Well, that had been Asami's idea, but Korra, as ever, wanted to charge head-long at any problem put before her and damn the torpedoes. The Presidents fundraising gala was intended to raise much needed money and support for the refugee camps along the boarder, and Kya had returned to give a speech to the great and the good of Republic City. Or at least, the wealthy and well connected. As the Avatar and president of Future Industries respectively, it had been no surprise that Korra and Asami had been invited. The fact that they had received separate invitations, each marked with the option of adding a +1, seemed to imply that Raiko had kept his mouth shut about their relationship. Or it could have been standard procedure for the civil servant tasked with sending out the invites; it was impossible to say. Korra looked forward to attending, even going as far as allowing Asami to pick out an actual dress for her, rather than her normal Water Tribe garb, something that almost made Pema faint.

Word soon got round the small island that the Avatar was going to wear an actual dress, and there were a lot of extra people gathered to see them off on the ferry to the mainland.

The short drive from the docks to City Hall had been pleasant enough, even if Korra wouldn't stop fidgeting and complaining about her dress feeling 'funny'. That had made Asami laugh; Korra was never going to be a girlie-girl, and she wouldn't have her any other way. But soon enough, they arrived, and the Air Acolyte acting as their driver quickly unfolded Korra's wheelchair and opened the door. Taking a deep breath, Asami stepped out first, waving to the crowed of well-wishers and press before turning to help Korra. As she did so, her hair shifted, and the betrothal necklace was clear for all to see. It was obvious that not everyone understood what it was, but some evidently did, and word spread through the crowed like wildfire, the crackling flash of the paparazzi cameras crowing until it was near blinding. Some tried to surge forward, but were held back by the carefully selected Metalbending Police Force Chief Beifong had put on duty. Eager to know more, the reporters started shouting at the tops of their voices, asking just who the lucky young man was. Was she back with Mako? Or was it someone she'd met on her journey to the Earth Kingdom? All the questions ended as she helped Korra out of the Satomobile and into her wheelchair, the Avatar pulling her down for a deep, passionate kiss that sent the crowd wild and almost had them surging over the police. The already excited reporters were now in a frenzy as Asami pushed Korra along the red carpet, the Avatar reaching back over her shoulder to cover one of her hands as she waved to the crowed with the other.

For better or for worse, their relationship was now very public.

The gala itself was relativity easy; the gossip had beaten them through the doors and into the ballroom, and all eyes were on the doors as they made their entrance together. There had been a few nerves questions, but a combination of Korras blunt, straightforward approach to everything and the open bar soon relaxed everyone, and soon they were being pelted with questions bout their wedding plans, something neither of them had actually given much thought to. As a little girl, Asami had dreamed of a huge wedding with a long, fluffy white dress, an ostrich horse drawn carriage and everything, but she had long since grown out of that. Still, if what was being said was anything to go by, it sounded like their wedding would be the social event of the decade... and why did Korra suddenly look so terrified?

Two days later, Asami found out why Korra had been so terrified when Tonraq and Senna arrived at Air Temple island, wanting to know just why their only daughter hadn't thought to tell them that she was getting engage, and they had to hear all about it on the radio. Asami had seen Korra battle crazed blood-benders, dark gods from the dawn of time and an entire terrorist organisation single handed, but she had never seen her look so outright terrified as when she had to face her enraged mother. In many ways, it made her glad that her own father was still in prison. Fortunately, Tonraq and Senna had no issue with Korra and Asami falling in love together, and offered their full and unconditional support to the couple. Which was good, because the conservative elements in Republic City and beyond had started to hit back, very carefully and polity, against the way that they had chosen to go public. The law was till somewhat unclear over whether or not the two of them could legally marry in the United Republic, and the conservatives were tallying around the idea that they couldn't, while the progressives were coming out in support of the two of them.

Asami understood politics, and that she was no doubt going to be summoned before the board of directors of Future Industries. While she was still the director and majority shareholder, they were already angry at her tendency to run off at the drop of a hat to help her friends. The company had been weakened by their loses during the Water Tribe Civil War and their subsistent acquisition of Varrick Global Industries after is was seized by the government after Varrick attempted to kidnap President Raiko and his subsistent escape from prison. While the latter had proven to be a wise investment, with Future Industries no longer reliant on outsiders to ship their products, it had left them dangerously overexposed, allowing Cabbage Corp to underbid them on the contract to supply airships to the Earth Kingdom, costing them millions of Yuans. They'd no doubt want to find a way to spin her new relationship with Korra to their own ends, something Asami was against.

Then there was the fact that Senna and Pema seemed to be spending every waking moment talking about wedding plans, with Ikki jumping up and down with joy over the prospect of being a bridesmaid in a pretty dress and a ever growing list of people to invite... and why was Korra grinning like that?

**To Be Continued**


	3. Something To Talk About

_I checked and read that the title_ 'Fire Lord' _applies to both sexes equally, __and IIRC, General Iroh even referred to his mother as 'The Fire Lord' back in Book Two, so that's what I'm going with. __Apologies if you see it differently._

_Also, it might feel a little political in places, __but I make no apologies for my liberal views given the subject matter._

_Reviews are the coin of the realm; please spend generously_

**Something To Talk About**

They were dead. Both of them, dead. It was just a question of who got to them first.

Korra was wild and reckless, prone to making a decision and just going with it, no matter how ill-advised or impractical it was. She was the kind of person who'd take a strait line from A to B, even if it meant tunnelling through a mountain range to do it. This habit of grabbing the world by the horns and demanding it submit to her will was one of the thing Asami had always loved about the young Avatar, even back when they'd first met. When faced with a storm, a normal person would run and hide, but when you had Korra standing beside you, it felt like you could take on the storm and win. Her zeal was almost infectious, and probably why people were willing to follow her to the ends of the earth and face near certain death; because when you saw the world through Korra's eyes, nothing seemed impossible.

Running away in the middle of the night may have been taking it a step too far.

One day, if they lived, Asami was going to have to ask Korra just how she managed to arrange it all without anyone realising. All she knew was that Korra had asked her to wheel her out to to the airbending training area, where Naga had been waiting with a large bag held in her mouth. Korra had produced a bison whistle and used it to summon the sky bison that had brought her back after her abortive attempt to reach the Fire Nation during the Water Tribe Civil War. Naga had leapt up onto the saddle, and Korra had encouraged Asami to help her up even as one of the White Lotus sentries had sounded the alarm. Unsure just what was going on, but trusting Korra implicitly, Asami had help her fiancé up onto the back of the waiting bison. No sooner were they seated then Korra had uttered a quick 'Yip-Yip!' and they were airborne, heading out across the bay for open water. It hadn't been the quickest of escapes; Naga weighed as much as four or five people, and was never a keen flyer at the best of times, and it took the polar-bear dog a little while to get settled. But soon they were lost in the clouds, huddled up together under a blanket with Korra laughing about how she'd never thought they'd would actually get away with it.

They stopped off on an uninhabited island so the bison could rest, and Korra quickly explained that she needed to get away for a while, just the two of them. Naga had looked round at this point, and Korra had quickly corrected herself; just the _three_ of them. Between the constant discussion in the press over their relationship, questions over just how quickly she was recovering and the almost fanatical zeal with which Senna and Pema had thrown themselves into planning the wedding... well, it had all been a bit too much. When she was younger and still under the tutelage of the White Lotus, she would often take Naga off for long rides across the tundra to clear her head when it all got too much. Unfortunately, that was no longer a practical option, least not because he wouldn't even consider _not_ taking Asami with her. So she had come up with this plan, her little 'romantic getaway', keeping it all to herself and relying solely on Naga for assistance. Asami felt a little hurt that she hadn't confided in her, but that was just how Korra was some times, so she accepted it.

Another days travel south-west saw them reach the shores of the Fire Nation, somewhere Asami had always wanted to visit. They caused quite the stir when they arrived, unannounced, in the capital, but fortunately Lord Zuko had been there and quickly smoothed things over. He'd made a comment about how implosive and unpredictable Avatars could be, then introduced them to his daughter, Fire Lord Ursa. Asami had done her best to act with the proper decorum, but Korra was Korra, and believed in treating everyone equally. Fortunately, Ursa was not only her fathers daughter, but had known Avatar Aang before his passing, so have some understanding as to how _unique_ an Avatar could be. She welcomed them into her home as honoured guests and friends, as warm and caring as Pema, but with a strong sense of tempered steel hidden blow the surface. News of their relationship had reached the Fire Nation just as quickly as it had the South Pole, and while Ursa was happy for them, she held back from asking too many questions. Not that that stopped Korra from explaining just why they had made their little unannounced visit, which had made Zuko laugh deeply. Once he had regained his composure, he said it reminded him of when Aang and Katara had officially announced their own engagement, shortly after the founding of the United Republic, even if it had long been a foregone conclusion to anyone who knew them.

Asami couldn't help but wonder if it was pure coincidence, or something that came from falling in love with the Avatar.

The villa just outside the palace that Ursa placed at their disposal was impressive, but small enough to feel cosy. The servants were polite, experienced, and seemingly able to vanish when not needed. It came as little surprise to either of them when, the next morning, there were White Lotus sentries standing guard outside the gates, but never stepping inside. Still, the message was clear; next time, let someone know what they had planned. No doubt, news of their arrival would have already reached Republic City, and Asami didn't want to imagine how it was being received. Despite everything she'd been through, every threat she'd faced and bested, every time she'd overcome all odds, there were still those who saw Korra as the inexperienced young woman who ran away to Republic City barely three years previously. Asami knew better than anyone that Korra was far from back to full strength, but she also knew that she was getting better day by day: already she was at the point of being able to stand, all be it for short periods of time, and her ability to control the four elements was likewise returning. Asami felt sure that Korra would surprise everyone with just how far she had come in such a short space of time. Korra had laughed when Asami had mentioned this too her, then pulled her down onto her lap so she could plant kisses all around her face, down her neck and onto her shoulder.

"You're the reason why I'm doing so well." The Avatar had explained as she held Asami close, "I felt lost, without reason and sure that the world would be better off without me. But you? You showed me that I still had so much to live for, and I want to spend the rest of my life thanking you for that."

They made love for the first time that night.

It wasn't some grand, world-altering event like in all the trashy romance novels Asami had so loved reading when she was a teenager: there was no roaring open fire, no platypus-bear skin rug, no candles, no rose petals, no shooting stars overhead (not that she'd been looking), no waves crashing on the beach. Instead their kisses and caresses had grown more intense, their exploration of each others bodies more daring, until they had found themselves laying naked in each others arms. Something unspoken had passed between them, and they had taken that final step together. Neither of them had been overly experienced beforehand, certainly not with another woman, and there had been more than a few mistakes made, including one very painful elbow to the ribs and more than a little laughter and cursing on Korra's part as her body refused to move exactly as she wanted it to, but it was the little imperfections that made it _better_. For that one night, they weren't the Avatar and the Heirs; they were just Korra and Asami, too young people who were deeply in love with each other and wanted to express that. Anything else would have somehow cheapened the experience. And as she lay there in Korra's arms as they basked in the afterglow, her head resting on her lovers shoulder, Asami knew that the memory of that experience was something she would cherish for the rest of her life.

Most of the next day was spent in bed, talking and making love, only leaving when they absolutely had too. Evening brought with it an invitation from Ursa to dine at the palace, so they had bathed together and dressed in fresh cloths that the servants produced seemingly out of nowhere and yet fit them perfectly. They were a little surprised when, instead of being led to a large banquet hall, they were instead shown to a much smaller and intimate room where Ursa, Zuko and a woman in the garb of a Fire Mage who was introduced as Sho were waiting for them. The formal pleasantries were quickly done with, then Zuko had somewhat reluctantly handed over a copy of the United Daily News, printed the day before. Asami looked at the front page and her heart sank: three of the five top judges in Republic City had come out and stated that, in their learned opinion, it would be against the laws of the United Republic for two women to marry. There was no mention of Korra or Asami by name, but the implication was clear to anyone who knew to read between the lines. The conservatives had played their trump-card, and there was little anyone could do to stop them. Until she had been told she couldn't, Asami had no idea _just_ how much she had been looking forward to actually marrying Korra. Ursa had seen the look of distress looks on their faces and explained that being the supreme leader of a nation had a few little perks, such as the ability to have someone look into exactly what their own laws said. And as it happened, in the Fire Nation, marriage was legally defined as a union between two people, with no emphasis given as to the genders of the people involved. The law was ancient, dating back to a time when it would have been socially unthinkable for two men or two women to marry, but the law was still the law. On top of that, she continued, Republic City was bound by international treaties and laws to recognise any marriage that took place in the Fire Nation and offer it the same legal protections as one that had taken place in the Presidents office in Republic City. All they would have to do is find someone appropriate willing to officiate the wedding.

It was at this point that Sho has smiled, and the proverbial penny had dropped.

Things moved fast after that; they couldn't risk word getting back to Republic City, even to their closest friends and family, less the conservative element get wind of what they had in mind and move to change the law before the wedding. Far better, Ursa had advised, to have the ceremony immediately and present those who opposed their union with a _fait accompli_ and ask the forgiveness of their supporters when they got back. And when the Fire Lord set her mind to something, it tended to get done quickly. Asami had never seen a finer dress than the black silk kimono decorated with red roses that the royal tailors had prepared for her. There had been butterflies the size of wolf-bats doing somersaults in her stomach as she had waited before Sho for Korra to make her entrance, and she almost fainted with shock when she did. Korra was dressed in a navy kimono with ice-blue highlights that matched the colourings and style of her normal Water Tribe garb, and in Asami's eyes, she looked simply stunning. But far more than that, she was actually walking. Slowly and a little unsteadily, with the help of Zuko and an ebony cane, but walking none the less. She grinned when she saw the look on Asami's face, grateful that her surprise had has the sort after affect. Naga, who had been sat to one side, made an appreciative grunt, and was fed a treat by a nearby servant.

The wedding ceremony passed in somewhat of a blur for Asami, as did the small gathering afterwards, and before she knew it, they were on their way to Ember Island. Zuko had offered them the use of the beach house he owned there, promising that they'd have all the privacy newly-weds could want. Asami had actually blushed at that comment, making the former Fire Lord laugh deeply. But he had been right about the house; it was small but well appointed, and some work had evidently been done to make it easy to move the wheelchair that Korra still needed most of the time around unimpeded. There were no servants, and while there were White Lotus sentries and a detachment of the elite Kyoshi Warriors keeping watch, they were far enough away to allow the two young women some privacy. They only had a few days, but they made the most of it, enjoying the sun, the sea and each other. They quickly grew more and more comfortable being intimate, with Korra displaying an inventive side that Asami had never suspected, but certainly appreciated. But above all, they were happy, the cares of the world kept at bay, at least for a little while. But as they lay on the beach, watching the sun go down one last time before they would have to head back to Republic City and the reality of their lives, Asami felt truly content. She was married to the woman she loved, and who loved her with a passion that burned like the desert sun; whatever else the world had to throw at them, they'd face it together. Still, they would have to face Senna and Pema, who's hard work planning the perfect wedding had all been for nothing.

Chief Beifong, who was no doubt going to be furious that they'd run off without any security.

Tenzin, who'd no doubt be angry that his student and charge was back to being her reckless implosive self.

The conservatives, who would doubtlessly be appalled by their marriage.

The progressives, who would feel cheated out of their chance to turn it into a grand cause for them to fight for.

The board of Future Industries, who'd have another axe to grind with Asami.

And most of all, Ikki, who'd missed out on her chance to be a bridesmaid in a pretty dress, something that somehow frightened Asami more than all the others combined.

**To Be Continued  
><strong>(_If I can come up with anything further to add_)


	4. Talk Of The Town

_People asked for a wedding/blessing ceremony, __and the first rule of media is always give the people what they want.  
><em>_Fortunately, this is not the first time I've written a same-sex marriage scene._

**Talk Of The Town**

Life was compromise, and that was something Asami had always known.

Their return to Republic City and Air Temple Island had been decidedly low-key, especially compared to their departure. The Order of the White Lotus provided them with an airship that was able to make the journey non-stop, and had room to carry their sky bison in comfort. While they had a cabin to themselves, the cramped nature of the ship and thin walls made it, unwise for them to express their love for each other too deeply. Not that there was any need to, after their stay on Ember Island; any doubts that may have lingered in their harts as to the strength of their feelings for each other and their commitment to one another were long gone.

With some trepidation they had looked down from the airship as it came in to land; the party that had gathered to greet them included Senna and Pema, whose expressions were unreadable, Tenzin, who looked put-upon, Bolin, who was grinning, Mako who was avoiding looking at the airship and evidently didn't want to be there and Chief Beifong, who had her customary scowl firmly in place. Korra had laughed nervously and made a joke about hijacking the airship and making a run for it while they could, but by then it was already too late. Naga had bounded down the ramp as soon as it was lowered, knocking over Bolin in order to greet Pabu, antics which seamed to break at least some of the tension. Senna had been the first to step forward when they reached the bottom of the ramp. She gave her daughter a stern look, then embraced Asami and welcomed her to the family. Pema had followed, welcoming the two of them back, then warning that they might want to be on the look out for sudden gusts of wind until Ikki had had a chance to calm down. It soon became clear that, while there had been some anger as to their sudden departure, and a little resentment that they had effectively eloped, even if that hadn't been their plan, that their friends and family were happy for them, even if there was no way that Chief Beifong would ever admit it. Mako was still a little uneasy around them as a couple, no doubt still processing the fact that the two women he'd been in love with were now in love with each other, but even he was glad that they were happy above all else.

The reaction by the wider city had been mixed; the conservatives had cried foul, accusing them of circumventing the rule of law, while the progressives had fully supported them, even if they felt cheated of their day in court. Asami had visited her father in prison, something she hadn't done in a long time, and it was clear from the moment she walked into the visitors room that he already knew; the look of revulsion on his face had made that clear. Not only had she married a bender, but she'd married the Avatar, the living embodiment of the ability that had taken her mother. The fact that she'd married a woman didn't seem to even register with her father, and she hadn't staid long enough to find out if it would. She'd managed to keep her composure all the way back to Air Temple Island, only to collapse in Korra's arms, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. It was a strange juxtaposition; for so long, Asami had been the rock that Korra had clung to as she fought to recover from her injuries, but now she had to be the emotionally strong one. For anyone else, she might have failed, but not for Asami. Instead she found a deep reserve of compassion and empathy that she had never known she had, and opened it up to her wife. Asami had cried, and Korra had held her until there were no more tears to be shed, and promised her that it was okay; she was her family now.

After that, facing the board of Future Industries had been relatively easy; they had expressed concern with what they saw as Asami's 'implosive recklessness' and seeming inability to put in a full week at the office without running off on some adventure. She was forced to admit that they were right, and agreed to start taking a more consistent approach to running the company, as well as delegating some of her authority to others with more experience. In return she was able to strike a deal that saw the _Zhu Li_, the battleship they had acquired during their takeover of Varrick Global Industries, leased to the White Lotus Society for a mere fraction of what a conventional freighter would have cost. She didn't tell the board, but that had been part of a plan she had come up with to try and appease the White Lotus for all the trouble her little holiday with Korra had caused them, and she was sure that it would be of imminence help to their humanitarian efforts in the Earth Kingdom. Returning to Air Temple Island, she had been surprised to be greeted at the dock by Ikki, who jumped up and hugged her, babbling something about knowing Korra and Asami would never go back on their promise. Making her way up to the main residence, she had been surprised to see a ragged looking Korra, sat in her wheelchair with Naga at her side. At first she was terrified that the Avatar had suffered some kind of set back in her rehabilitation, but with a little coaxing, she learned the truth: Senna and Pema had decided that their carefully thought out wedding plans were just too good to go to waste, so Korra and Asami were going to have to have a special commitment and blessing ceremony for all their friends and family who'd missed their actual wedding.

It had been made clear that this was non-negotiable.

Asami had thought that Fire Lord Ursa's rapid organisation of their impromptu wedding had been impressive, but they were nothing compared to what followed. Senna and Pema ran the Air Acolytes and junior airbenders ragged for two weeks, having already taken over Tenzin's study for what Bolin had named their war chamber. The airbending master had tried to protest, but one glare from his wife, backed up by his younger daughter, had quickly put an end to that. Invitations were sent out, but such was the state of the world after Zaheer's campaign of terror and anarchy. Lord Zuko, General Iroh and Bumi were all busy trying to stem the tide of chaos, Ursa was detained by matters of state, Kya was working round the clock to try and help the growing number of refuges, and Suyin was busy trying to keep Zaofu safe, but she did deputies Opal as her representative, much to Bolin's joy. Fortunately, Tonraq _was_ able to attend thanks to the geographical distance between the Southern Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom, even if he was going to have to depart almost immediately after the ceremony, and be brought Katara with him.

The others had wanted to throw them a party the night before the wedding, but Korra and Asami declined, opting to spend the evening down on the sheltered cove where they had enjoyed the spring sunshine, with only Naga and a bottle of wine Varrick had sent as a wedding gift for company.

"We are gathered here in the presence of witnesses for the purpose of uniting in matrimony Korra of the Southern Water Tribe and Asami Sato." Tenzin stood under the mediation pavilion, looking out over the small crowed of friends and family that had assembled, "The contract of marriage is most solemn and is not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and seriously with a deep realization of its obligations and responsibilities. Please remember that love, loyalty and understanding are the foundations of a happy and enduring home. No other human ties are more tender and no other vows more important than those you are about to pledge."

He turned to the two young women stood before him; Korra was dressed in a flowing ice-blue Water Tribe gown that Senna had prepared for her, while Asami wore a simple white dress, her long, raven-black hair held back by a clasp in the shape of a white lotus flower.

"Do you Korra take Asami to be your spouse for life?" Tenzin asked the Avatar, "Do you promise to love and comfort each other, honour and keep each other in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for better or for worse and be faithful to each other as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Korra smiled, her blue eyes shining brightly.

"Do you Asami take Korra to be your spouse for life? Do you promise to love and comfort each other, honour and keep each other in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for better or for worse and be faithful to each other as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Asami nodded, her green eyes wet with tears that she was doing her best to hold back.

"Then place your hands together." Tenzin instructed, and the two young women joined their right hands, clasping each others wrists. The airbender took a silk ribbon and wrapped it around Korra's forearm, down around their hands and back up Asami's arm, "Now that you have joined yourselves in matrimony, may you strive all your lives to meet this commitment with the same love and devotion that you now possess. By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Air Nation, I now pronounce you, spouses for life." He blushed deeply, "You may kiss..."

Not letting the ribbon slip, Asami had pulled Korra to her, spun her round and down, held securely in her other arm and kissed her deeply on the lips. The crowed had cheered, Ikki jumping up and down as she threw great handfuls of confetti over them. Tenzin, who was still having some difficulty coming to grips with everything, simply turned to Pema who had hugged him, then reminded him that they had two daughters of their own, which made his face turn from bright red to ashen grey in an instant. There was a short intermission as the brides changed into something more practical, then the party had _really_ started.

It felt good to relax and celebrate again; aside from ceremony where Jinora had been anointed as an official master airbender, there had been little to be thankful for for a long time. Some of the more militant conservatives had attempted to crash the festivities in a commandeered airship, but that only served to give Chief Beifong something to vent her frustration on, and they were soon being fished out of the bay by the harbour patrol. But even that couldn't dampen their mood, especially at Korras attempt at dancing; even before she'd been injured, she'd been a terrible dancer for someone who was normally so poised and graceful. Now she was limited to shuffling her feet and grabbing Asami's ass, something that had earned catcalls from Bolin, before he was silence by a kiss from Opal. They had cut the cake, Korra mashing the first piece into Asami's face, something her wife swore to get her revenge for later on, then it had been time to toss the bouquet. There had been a mad scramble for it, but Asami was sure she saw Korra take careful aim before they had let it go, and it landed squarely in Opal's arms. It was hard to tell if Bolin looked happy or terrified, but it made Mako laugh and earned him a fresh scowl from Chief Beifong, who muttered something about having a word with the young earthbender about her niece. The party went on into the small hours, the younger children and those with work to get back to the next day drifting off first after passing on their warmest regards to the happy couple, and the music slowed down until it was only Asami and Korra on the dance floor. The day had taken its toll on Korra, despite all the progress she'd been making, so they simply stood in each others arms and swayed from side to side in time with the music.

Two days later, they moved into the Sato family estate overlooking Republic City. It offered them the space and privacy they needed, and freed up much needed room for the newly discovered airbenders who were arriving almost daily from around the world. There had been some protesters camped outside, raging against their marriage, but the sight of the newly installed White Lotus Sentries, backed up by the estates pre-existing security team, made sure that everything remained civil and outside the grounds. Asami had given the White Lotus the use of her father former workshop and the cavernous facility underneath it, which had laid empty and unused since the Equalist uprising. They were certainly thankful for the space, setting up a control room to organise their operations within the Earth Kingdom. While many people saw them as an organisation created to find, train and serve the Avatar, they were still deeply involved in their original mission to foster a better understanding between peoples and the expansion of knowledge. As such they had members around the world, only a small fraction of whom were fighters. Most were scholars, teachers, artists and researchers, and they all needed somewhere to contact if they needed help, and Asami was happy to provide what support she could. And so it was that she sat in her study, resting on the couch with Korra laid out with her head on Asami's lap, trying to read a report from one of the divisions of Future Industries while her wife did her best to distract her. Eventually giving up, she looked down at Korra and asked exactly what it is she wanted.

Korra smiled coyly and mentioned something about giving the staff the night off and skinny dipping in the swimming pool, and Asami knew that she wouldn't be getting any more work done that night.

**To Be Continued?  
><strong>(_Again, only if I can come up with something worth adding_)


	5. Not Talking

_Every time I think I've finished with this story,  
><em>_you guys hit on the_ one _possible plot thread I'd left hanging.  
><em>_I'd love to know how you do that._

**Not Talking**

It had been a week (six days, seventeen hours and twenty-two minutes, if you wanted to be exact) since they'd last talked, and Asami was starting to get worried.

Korra had been in an usually good mood when she had walked into the office that had once belonged to Hiroshi Sato, but had long since been taken over by his daughter. Asami had put it down to the fact that her wife was now able to get around with just a single cane most of the time, only needing her wheelchair occasionally. But Korra had closed the door and explained that there was something she needed to talk to Asami about in private. The shouting had started less then sixty seconds later, and had lasted more than an hour. And it wasn't that Asami was against Korra's idea in principle, just that she wasn't sure how practical it was. It wasn't something they had ever discussed, and the truth was that Asami had subconsciously filed it away under 'not going to happen' when they had first gotten together and not thought on it since. But Korra _had_ been thinking about it, and not only that, she'd discussed it with someone else _before_ bring it to Asami. It didn't matter that the other person in question was Katara, who Asami trusted completely and implicitly: the fact of the matter was that Korra had talked to someone _other_ than Asami about something so personal and life-changing first. Even after she'd gotten over the initial shock and the realisation that she wasn't the first to know just what Korra had been planning, there were still a million and one questions buzzing around her head. Unfortunately, Korra misinterpreted this as an outright rejection of her entire plan, and had immediately gone on the defensive, and probably didn't mean to use the words she did, or for Asami to uninterpreted them the way she had.

Unfortunately, Korra _had_ said what she did and Asami _did_ take it the way she did, and that was why they hadn't so much as said "good morning" to each other in almost a week.

The crazy part was, they were still living together, sharing the same house, the same dinner table, the same bathroom and even the same bed. The only thing they weren't sharing was a conversation. And that made it all the worst, because they'd inevitable wake up in each others arms or spooning, and for a few brief seconds all was right with the world. Then one of them would wake enough to remember what had been said and would pull away, which would jog the others memory, and hostilities would resume. The day would pass at would could only be described as just one step short of open warfare, the estate staff doing everything they could to keep out of the way less they inadvertently be seen as taking sides. Night would come, and they'd silently change and climb into bed, backs to each other, as far apart as they could manage, only to awaken to discover that they had sort each other out during the night, as they had so often during much happier times. Neither seemed willing to back down, pride having built its walls too high and too strong to allow either of them to take the first step. And Asami _missed_ Korra in a way she never thought she'd ever miss another human being, not even her mother. She missed talking about how their days went, the music they had heard on the radio, something funny they had read in a book. She missed all the little smiles and soft touches that you didn't know were there until they weren't, the small things that let you know you had found your true soul-mate. And by the spirits, did she miss the sex!

Theirs had always been a very intimate, physical relationship, even before that first night in the Fire Nation. They never missed an opportunity to hold hands, to put their arms around each other and just feel the warmth of the others body against their own, even if it was just when out for a walk. And yes, since that first time, sex had been a very important part of their relationship, in more ways than one. Asami had found it the perfect way to relax after a hard day at the office, butting heads with the rest of the board or some government bureaucrat, and Korra had admitted that it helped sooth away the aches and pains that came with her still regular physiotherapy, not to mention trying to come to terms with what it meant to be the Avatar in an ever changing world. But it had also been a way for them to express just how much they loved and needed one another in a way that words simply failed at, and Asami felt in danger of loosing that connection, possible for good.

At her wits end, and fearing for the worst, Asami decided to take a leaf out of Korra's book, and sort guidance from someone more experienced.

"Children?" Pema had almost dropped her tea cup in surprise, "I'm sorry, but I had just assumed that..."

"Yes; so had I." Asami lent forward across the small table set up in the sheltered gazebo, tucked away in a quiet corner of the estates gardens, far from any prying eyes or inquisitive ears, "I guess I'd come to the conclusion that motherhood wasn't my destiny after we fell in love."

"But now Korra wants children?" Pema still looked more confused than anything, "I don't understand _how_."

"I'd... rather not go into details; this is embarrassing enough as it is. So lets just say that she can be very, inventive, when she wants to be, and leave it at that." Asami blushed as she remember the very _clinical_ way her wife had described exactly what she had in mind, "I was shocked, to say the least, and I fear that she saw my surprise as rejection. Things got a little out of hand, we both said things we didn't really mean, and we haven't said a word to each other since."

"I think I understand. Tenzin can be just the same; so caught up in the idea that he fails to see that there might be other points of view, just as valid, but not necessarily the same as his own." Pema placed her tea cup down on the matching saucer, "And I don't think it's just the fact that they're benders, but more who they are as people. They're both assertive, forward and goal originated, and both very sure of their place in the world. Or at least, Korra _was_."

"Yes, she's been finding it difficult to come to terms with how well the Air Nomads have taken up their new role." Asami admitted, "Not that she objects to the work they've done, far from it, but I get the feeling that its eating away at her self-image as the Avatar; the one who's duty and reason for being it is to bring balance."

"The world will always need its Avatar, so long as there are benders, non-benders and spirits, but it's not the same world it was when Aang was the Avatar. It's only natural that she feels unsure of her place in the new order." Pema looked around, "Speaking of which; where is Korra?"

"She had a meeting at City Hall with President Raiko and the heads of the White Lotus to discuss the situation in the Earth Kingdom and the latest attacks attributed to the Red Lotus." Asami frowned, "Given that I doubt I'd be able to add much, and don't want to make our... situation, public, I decided not to invite myself."

"I understand fully; Tenzin is there, and I'm sure he'll keep an eye on her." Pema assured her, "But I have to ask; are you _ready_ to have children?"

"I... don't know." Asami admitted, eyes downcast, "Were you?"

"Yes and no." It was Pema's turn to be honest, "I wasn't much older than you are now when I married Tenzin, and I fell pregnant with Jinora not that long after. And I wanted her, we both did, but thinking you're ready to have a child is not the same as actually having one. For the first few weeks after she was born... Tenzin and I had almost no idea what we were doing, despite all the books we had read, all the plans we had made. If it wasn't for the love and support of those around us we probably would have gone out of our minds. But if you _do_ decide to go ahead, know that we'll always be there for you."

"Don't get me wrong; I'd love nothing more than to raise a family with Korra, but, well..." Asami took a deep breath, "What if I'm _not_ ready? What if I screw up? What if I disappoint Korra?"

"That's one thing you could never do." A voice interrupted, and the two women looked around is surprise as the Avatar stepped into view from behind one of the tall, manicured bushes that shielded the gazebo, her eyes damp with tears that she was only just holding back, "Asami, my love, there is nothing you could _ever_ do that would disappoint me."

"Korra, I..." Asami started, but Korra was already in her arms, hugging her like a drowning man clasping a life-vest.

"I'll leave you two alone." Pema stood and excused herself, "Thank you for the tea."

Time had no meaning, the entire universe around them dissolved away until there was just Korra and Asami, locked in a tight embrace. Asami took a deep breath in through her nose, savouring the unmistakable pine scent of Korra's favourite shampoo; she wanted to wrap herself in the moment and never let go.

"You should have told me you were scared." Korra sobbed, "I would have understood."

"I was too scared." Asami admitted with a nervous laugh, "You were so sure of everything, just like you were back before..." She trailed off, "I didn't want to risk lose that part of you again."

"I don't know if I'm ever going to be that person again; too much has changed." Korra opened up her soul, "I'm still the Avatar, and the world still needs me. But _I_ need to understand who Korra is, and what _I_ need. But if there is one thing I _do_ know, it's that I need you by my side."

"You don't have to worry about that; I'm not going anywhere." Asami assured her, "And yes, I _do_ want us to start a family, whatever it takes." She pulled away and fixed her wife with a faux-sturn look, "But there are going to be some ground rules."

"Anything you say, dear." Korra smiled.

"If I start craving, say, seaweed noodles and fresh Lychee juice, you have you be ready to run down to Narook's at any hour, day _or_ night." Asami warned.

"Only the best for you, dear." Korra kissed her nose.

"When my ankles start to swell up, you'd better be there to rub them."

"Yes, dear."

"When Bolin starts making jokes about me looking like Oogi, you have to be there to punch him in the arm for me, _hard_."

"Without hesitation, dear."

"When I'm hunched over the toilet at 6am with morning sickness, you'd better be there to hold my heir back out of the way."

"Would be happy to, dear."

"And if we decide to have more, you'd better be ready to carry at least one."

"I'd be honoured to, dear."

"If they turn out to be benders, as they most likely will, you have to teach them _not_ to bend in the house!"

"First thing I'll do, dear."

"_You_ have to explain to Mako _exactly_ what we need him to do, assuming you still think he's our best option."

"...not looking forward to it now you put it like _that_, but your wish is my command, dear."

"But for now... you have to send the staff home and take me up to our room so we can make up for lost time."

"Can't think of anything I'd rather do, dear."

**To Be Continued?  
><strong>(_again, dependant on inspiration striking_)


	6. Baby Talk

_If I explained_ _just _how_ Asami got pregnant, without first changing the rating to Mature,  
><em>_the story would get most likely taken down by the Admins.  
><em>_All I'll say is that she most definitely did_ not _have sex with Mako, and we'll leave it at that.  
><em>_This is shorter chapter than most, as it's more of an interlude than an instalment._

**Baby Talk**

"Who's a widdle bundle of wuv? Who's a widdle bundle of wuv?" Korra asked with a look of perfect joy and contentment on her face, her eyes as wide as saucers, "You are! Yes you are! Yes you are!"

"If only the public could see you now; they'd think you'd finally lost your mind." Asami rolled her eyes, trying to concentration on the contract from Future Industries that had been sent over to the estate for her to sign, "You do realise that they're not due for another four months?"

"That's no excuse not to spend quality time with them and let them know just how precious they are." Korra looked up at her wife from her spot on the floor; Asami was laid out, full lengthen, on her favourite couch, her swollen belly clear as day. One of her hands was absent-mindedly rubbing it, until Korra playfully captured it with her own.

"Stop that." Asami warned, "You did this to me."

"You are more beautiful than ever!" Korra insisted with a sincerer smile, "And how was I to know that twins ran in your side of the family as well?"

"How do you know it's _my_ family and not Mako's?" Asami shot her an accusing glare, "You know how many cousins he has."

"Well... we wanted more than one child, right?" Korra asked with a playful smile, "And who knows; maybe Katara was wrong, and rather than twins, it's just one, really _big_ baby?"

"Not helping." Asami told her point-blank, "And leaving aside the fact that Katara is one of if not the best and most respected healer and midwife in the entire Southern Water Tribe, trust me when I say it's twins. No single child, not even Mako's, could cause me so much pain and discomfort. Next one is yours to carry."

"Assuming the world calms down enough to do without its Avatar for nine months, I'd be more than happy too." Korra shrugged, "Until then, you get all the fun."

"_Fun_?" Asami dropped the contract and fixed her wife with a stare that could have stopped a charging elephant-rhino dead in its tracks and reduced it to a heap of apologetic ash, "You think this is _fun_? I have to get up six times a night to use the bathroom, they insist on having what I can only assume are wrestling matches when I'm trying to sleep and none of my cloths fit me because I'm the size of an elephant-koi!"

"On the plus side, you're positively _glowing,_" Korra assured her with a sincere smile, "and your boobs are absolutely spectacular!"

"Oh no! No no no!" Asami wagged a finger, "I don't care what the pregnancy hormones are doing to me; you don't get to worm your way out of this by playing the sex card."

"Damn!" Korra's shoulders slumped, "I was kind of looking forward to that."

"Yes, well, unfortunately," Asami gestured to the contracts, "some of us have work to do."

There was a tentative knock on the door, and it slowly opened.

"Mako!" Korra pulled herself to her feet, still not quite as agile and limber as she had been, but getting there, "When did you get back?"

"Late last nigh." The detective stood in the doorway, still unsure just how he fitted into the new dynamic, "Thought it best not to disturb you two so late..."

"Oh for the love on..." Asami rolled her eyes, "Mako; come in, sit down and relax before you strain something."

The young man did as instructed while Asami pulled herself up into more of a seated position, Korra taking a spot at the other end of the couch so she could massage her wife's feet.

"Whatever else may have changed, we're still your friends, and we wouldn't want that to change." Asami did her best to assure him, "I can understand how this must be difficult for you; I've heard some of the things that have been said about your... past relationships with Korra and I, and I can only guess how much of a blow to a man's ego it must be when two of his ex-girlfriends fall in love and marry each other. And I am sorry if there's anything we said or did that made things any worse."

"We're _both_ sorry." Korra added with a nod.

"And so if there is anything we can do to try and make things more comfortable for you, then all you have to do is ask." Asami promised him, then quickly added, "Within reason, that is."

"Well, there is one thing..." Mako looked hesitant, "I can understand why you might not want to make the... practical side of things public, but could you recognise me as the father?"

There was a moment of silence, Korra and Asami exchanging meaningful looks, their hands reaching out for each other.

"Mako, when you agreed to help us start a family, we told you that you could have as much or as little to do with the upbringing and lives of the children as you wanted." Korra spoke softly, "We made that offer because we understood that the day will most likely come when you'll meet the right woman and get married. And we didn't want to burden any relationships you might have with the public knowledge that you already have children with an unconventional couple."

"We never intended to cut you out of their lives fully, and so long as you're okay with it, we'll explain the truth to them once they're old enough to understand it." Asami continued, her free hand resting on her swollen abdomen, "But, and this is something we have discussed at length, if you want to take a more active role, publicly or privately, we're more than happy for you to do so."

"Thank you, both of you." Mako still looked sad, "It's just... my grandmother isn't very well; we're not sure how long she has left..."

Asami stood, cursing under her breath, walked over to Mako, pulled him to his feet and hugged him. Korra walked over and embraced Mako from the other side, pinning him between them.

"You're our family; first through choice, and now through blood." Asami assured him, "And we look out for each other."

"And we love you." Korra squeezed him tight, "Maybe not the same way as we once did, but we still love you and can never thank you enough for what you've given us."

"Thank you. I..." Mako tried to speak, but couldn't find the words, "Thank you."

"What's going on in here?" Bolin appeared in the doorway, a confused expression on his face.

"We're starting a new family tradition." Asami gestured for him to join them, "So get over here, you big lug; I want to make sure my kids get to know their favourite uncle."

"Okay." Bolin shrugged, still not sure just what he'd walked in on. He made his way over to the trio and embraced them all with a deep sigh, "This is nice." his eyes snapped opened, "Wait: 'uncle'?!"

**To Be Continued...  
><strong>(_Don't hold your breath;_ Destiny _is out tomorrow_)


	7. Nothing To Do But Talk

_Another short interlude, something that might start happening more often.  
><em>_It's truly worrying just how many websites there are dedicated to the colour of Mako's eyes._

**Nothing To Do But Talk**

Mako hated the way hospitals smelt; of fear, pain, grief and antiseptic. They brought back unpleasant memories of the night his parents were killed. And try as he might, he couldn't stop thinking about them, and it wasn't just the smell; family was at the very forefront of his mind.

"Six hours." Bolin commented quietly so as not to disturb Opal, who was curled up at his side, her head resting on his shoulder, "Anyone want to place a bet on hour seven?"

"Not if they want to live to live to see hour eight." Lin warned, "Show some respect."

"I respect the miracle of birth." Bolin insisted sincerely, "I just don't understand why it takes so long."

"Wait until you start having your own..." Tenzin started, then saw the look Lin was shooting at him and stopped.

"I want babies." Opal commented sleepily, her eyes not even fluttering as she hugged Bolins arm tightly, "Lots and lots and lots of babies."

There was a moment of silence as everyone waited to see just how Lin would react to her nieces comment, but after a short period of contemplation, the police chief just shook her head and sighed.

"So long as you're married _first_." She warned the young man who was her future nephew-in-law, all be it _still_ not officially, going by the continued lack of a ring on Opal's finger "I know there is a family precedent to the contrary, but it will not be becoming a tradition on _my_ watch."

There was a sudden, sharp and above all very loud scream of pain from down the hallway, and everyone looked round in shock.

"Was that..." Bolin swallowed nervelessly, "Was that _Korra_?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say she made the mistake of telling Asami to squeeze her hand if the pain got too much." Tenzin flexed his right hand instinctively, "I made the same mistake when Pema was giving birth to Jinora; it was weeks before I could airbend properly afterwards."

"Should we be worried that the woman who's actually giving birth to twins seems to be handling the pain better than our Avatar?" Lin asked, only half-joking.

"Korra doesn't like seeing Asami in pain." Mako closed his eyes and rested his head back against the wall, "She'd never admit it, but she feels guilty that she wasn't recovered enough, and was too busy, to even consider having a child right now, meaning Asami had to be the one to go through with it if they wanted to start their family right away."

"You seem very... insightful." Lin's eyes narrowed as she looked at her subordinate, "You've all been very quiet about just what part you played in all this, and I somehow doubt that the graffiti on the men's locker-room wall down at headquarters has the inside track."

"I'm not answering that on the grounds that Korra and Asami would kill me." He replied without even opening his eyes, "Assuming I didn't die of embarrassment first."

"Another one of life's little mysteries, I guess." Tenzin shrugged, trying to find a way of shifting the subject, "Is there any more tea?"

"Yes," Lin glanced at the small hamper that Pema had dropped off before taking the children home for the night, much to their annoyance, "but it's cold."

"Give it here." Mako reached out and took the small flask and held a hand over the open top. He concentrated, and steam soon started to rise from inside. He smiled to himself as it jogged the memory of the time he'd asked Asami for more hot water to make tea for Korra; none of them had any idea just how things were going to work out back then, and if you'd told them, they would have laughed in your face and called you crazy.

"Any words on names?" Bolin asked, "Every time I tried to bring it up, Korra punched me on the arm."

"That's because every time you brought it up, you started with a joke about Asami looking like Oogi." Opal opened her eyes, looked at her _would-be-fiancé-if-he'd-only-just-ask-damn-it_ and punched him on the shoulder as hard as she could, which was nowhere near as hard as Korra, but her aim was impeccable, and she hit the permanent bruise left by the Avatar over the past few months dead centre.

"Ouch!" Bolin protested, rubbing his arm, "What was _that_ for?"

"A taste of things to come if don't learn to be more... diplomatic?" Lin chuckled to herself, happy to see that Opal had inherited the Beifong family trait of not taking shit from anyone.

"Trust me, little brother; some things are best left unsaid." Mako chuckled, only for a fresh scream from a different pair of lungs to bring everyone back to reality.

"Is that a _good_ sign... or a _bad_ sign?" Bolin asked, genuinely unsure.

"It's... a sign." Tenzin shrugged, "There no set rules about these things; they happen when they happen."

"And people wonder why _I_ never wanted kids." Lin muttered.

"Damn it!" Mako stood and started pacing back and forth across the hallway, trying to burn off some of the frustration that was building up inside him. Those where _his_ children being born, and part of him couldn't help but feel that _he_ should have been in there, helping Asami though it.

He wasn't stupid or deluded enough to assume that there was event he slightest hint of a sliver of a possible chance that he'd ever get back together with Asami, and more than he thought he'd ever get back with Korra: they were happily married, and he was _genuinely_ happy for them. But deep down in the back of his mind he could hear what his grandmother had said when he'd told her that she had two new great-grandchildren on the way.

"_A man takes responsibility for his children, and their mother, no matter what._" She had chastised him when he explained it to her, minus the finer details, "_He doesn't pass that on to someone else unless he's dead._"

Fortunately, while she was still old fashioned and far to stuck in her ways for her own good, her disappointment had been aimed at him, and she seemed to genuinely relish the idea of doting on her first great-grandchildren. Especially if their mother was Asami, who she whole heartedly approved of. She was, however, still having trouble understanding just how Korra fitted into it all, but Mako put it down to her culture and/or upbringing, and did his best to avoid the topic.

If only the rest of the world had been so easy to handle.

The press had, understandably, gone crazy once Korra and Asami had made his position as the father of their upcoming children public. There had already been more than a little interest in the pregnancy to begin with; they were both public figurers, and the public debate their marriage had generated hadn't gone away. There had been rampant speculation from day one as to just who the possible father could be, ranging from the unlikely to the downright crazy, such as the one reporter who insisted that Korra was somehow the father, using some previously unheard of Avatar power to get her wife pregnant. It was inevitable that Mako's name had come up, and he had become adept and spotting and avoiding reporters, who just made up whatever sold the most newspapers or got the most ears glued to the radio. Bookmakers had been offering odds on the true identity of the father, and word was a _lot_ of money had changed hands after the short news-conference Korra had held to settle it once and for all.

Then he'd had to face the rest of the police force.

Due in no small part to their actions during the Equalist Revolt, Korra and Asami had what could only be described as a cult following in the cities police, many of whom had come out in open support of their relationship without the need to be coerced by their Chief. That, added to the normal banter that was common whenever and wherever a large number of men got together, meant that there had been more than a few questions asked of Mako, ranging from those who'd assumed that he'd been invited into Korra and Asami's bed (and thus considered him to be the luckiest man in the world), and those who'd been far closer to the mark than he would have liked (mainly from the medical and forensic branches). And then there was the graffiti Lin had mentioned: Mako would have been happier if she'd had it removed, but instead she had corrected the spelling and grammar, then instigating a force-wide program of mandatory spelling tests and calligraphy lessons to try and improve the quality of the paperwork. Her only comment on the subject was that if that was how they wrote when it was something they were _interested_ in, then they must need a lot of help when it was something they would go out of their way to _avoid_.

"Sit yourself back down before you ware and more of a groove in the floor." Lin spoke; it wasn't a direct order, but it carried the same tone.

"Sorry." He muttered as he collapsed back down onto the bench next to Bolin and Opal, just in time for another scream of pain to echo down the corridor.

"Natural child birth my ass!" Lin half chuckled, half muttered, then turned to her niece, "There's nothing _natural_ about unnecessary pain, so when the time comes and the nice man or woman in the white coat asks if you want something to help ease it, you say 'yes please'."

Opal nodded, somewhat regretting her earlier comment about just how many children she wanted.

"Don't let her frighten you." Tenzin insisted, "Meditation works just as well."

"One vote for, one against." Lin smiled like a hungry shark-squid that had just spotted a wounded Turtle seal, "Shall we wait and ask Asami to cast the deciding vote?"

Tenzin was about to say something, when there was a longer, drawn-out cry of pain, followed by a much more high-pitched and unmistakable sound sound.

"That's one!" Lin's face actually lit up.

There was a few minutes and a few more screams, then a second new voice joined the first.

"And that's two." Tenzin nodded, offering up a silent prays of thanks to the spirits.

They all got to their feet and started to edge closer to the doors, only for them to suddenly blow open and an excited looking Korra to half step, half tumble through.

"Girls! Both of them!" The Avatar positively beamed, even if her left hand was wrapped in a cold compress, "They're perfect!"

Mako stepped past her and stuck his head into the delivery room: Asami was laying in bed, worn out with her sweat slick hair a mess, but to him she had never looked more beautiful then she did at that moment with a small bundle of blankets and pink skin in each arm.

"I have to hand it to you, Mako; you made two good looking kids." Korra put an arm around his shoulder, "I just hope they get their brains from their mothers side."

"Stop teasing him." Asami smiled, glad the experience was over, yet happier than she'd ever been in her entire life, including her wedding day, "Now get over here, both of you, and meet our daughters properly."

Somewhat hesitantly, Mako stepped forward, only for Korra to grab him by the shoulders and frog-march him to the bed. Both of his two daughters had their mothers raven-black hair, but while the one nearest to him also had Asami's green eyes, the other had his deep, hazel-bordering-on-amber eyes.

"Mako, I'd like you to meet Senna," Asami raised up her green-eyed daughter slightly, then followed with the other, "and Yin Sato. Girls, this is your father, Mako."

"Hello!" Mako looked like he was about to laugh and cry at the same time, "Welcome to our family."

"Awe, so cute!" Opal stood in the door ways, eyes wide, hands clasped together. Her expression unchanging, she elbowed Bolin in the ribs, "Hurry up and ask me to marry you so we can start having babies of our own!"

**To Be Continued...  
><strong>(_next time I need to take a break from playing_ Destiny)


	8. Family Talk

_Looks like it's going to be a mix of long, POV chapters __and short, dialogue heavy snippets from here on out._

_Now for some review responses:_

_Dah: I make no apologies for just how many 'feels' I can pack into a single chapter ;)_

_Oogi: hope this chapter explains at least some of your questions._

**Family Talk**

"_I told them we should have painted it yellow, or green, or something else neutral beforehand._"

"_No you didn't; you wanted to paint it blue because you were sure they were going to be boys._"

"_Is it really that much to expect of you to father the next generation of Pro-Bending champions?_"

"_Considering the way Opal's been talking of late, it sounds like_ you _might have that job. Anyway, who says my girls couldn't be the next generation of Fire Ferrets if they wanted to?_"

"_Nothing! Nothing! I just figured you for the kind of guy who'd want sons, that's all._"

"_Bolin, you're my brother and I love you, but you can be such an _idiot_ at times. Trust me, when the times comes; which will be sooner rather than later if Opal has her way, you'll understand that all any sane parent wants is for their kids to be happy and healthy. And for all we know, they might not even_ be _benders._"

"_You take that back! You take that back right now!_"

"What? _Neither mom nor dad were benders, Asami isn't a bender, and neither were_ her _parents. I'd say that there's at least a fifty-fifty chance that at least one of them might not be a bender at all. And if they are, then there's an even chance that they could be earth _or_ firebenders, given their family tree. We won't know for sure until they're older._"

"_So... when are you and Korra going to try for a kid?_"

"_Not any time soon._"

Asami opened an eye and looked around her: Korra was asleep and her side, drooling slightly, while Mako and Bolin did their best to paint the nursery pink. But by the looks of them, the only thing they'd managed to paint so far was themselves, probably because they wouldn't stop talking. And yes, she could have easily paid someone to do it, but Mako had insisted that it was his responsibility as the new father to paint his daughters nursery, and had roped in his brother to help. It was cute the way he went all Alpha-Male at times, happy to stand his ground, even against Korra. Other times it could be annoying. But right now, it as just embarrassing. Not that she was going to say anything to stop them; Mako needed to feel like he was doing something practical to help, and he'd already proven to be an abject failure at assembling the cribs. But he was trying he damnedest, Asami had to give him credit for that.

"Done." Tonraq walked in, carrying the first of the two cribs. He had explained that, in the South Water Tribe, they were traditionally something a new father would have calved himself, but given that Mako had almost broken his thumb trying to open a tin of paint, he'd felt it would be safer all round if he took responsibility for all the sharp tools. And while he was certainly a skilled warrior and leader, he seemed to take a certain pleasure from creating something with his hands.

"Put it over there for now." Mako had pointed over to the couch here Asami and Korra were resting, "We've already painted over there."

Tonraq carefully place the crib down, then pulled out the small camera his wife had insisted he keep on him at all times in case their new grandchildren did something she deemed 'cute', and carefully lined it up to take a snap of his daughter and daughter-in-law.

"Korra, honey; your father is about to take an embarrassing photo of us" Asami nudged her wife, "Use your Avatar powers to stop him."

"Too tired." Korra muttered, not even half awake, "Sleep now; seek bloody vengeance later."

There was a click, and the moment was saved for posterity.

"What time did she get in?" Tonraq asked.

"About an hour before dawn." Asami admitted with a yawn, "The representative of the faction that's taken over Ba Sing Se arrived a day early, and wanted to start hammering out the details of the peace talks right away. And as he was still on Ba Sing Se time..."

"If I get my hands on him..." Tonraq started, then remember that he was, as Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, one of the sponsors of the peace talks aimed at ending the civil war that had ravaged much of the Earth Kingdom. "She needs more rest; she can't keep burning the candle at both ends."

"I'm not the only one." Korra interrupted, having given up on sleep as everyone insisted on talking, "I came home to find _someone_ already up and doing paperwork."

"Someone had to get up and feed the twins." Asami pointed out, "You and I both know that its impossible to sleep when they're hungry."

"What about that... '_thing_'... Opal and I got you?" Bolin asked, turning a delightful shade of red.

"It pinches, and Yin has decided that she doesn't like the tastes of the bottle-tops." Asami groaned, "Kid's trying to drive me crazy."

"Well, why don't you go get some sleep now?" Mako asked, "Bolin and I can finish up here, and Senna, Pema and Opal have taken the girls shopping for... I have no idea what else they could possible need, but it's probably a good thing that you're as rich as you are."

"For a man who can't even handle a screwdriver, the father of my grandchildren is very wise." Tonraq folded his arms across his chest and nodded, "Go. Bed. Sleep. Now."

"Okay, okay; we surrender!" Asami slowly stood, half dragging Korra behind her.

"And if the world starts coming to an end... we'll let you sleep through it." Bolin promised, seemingly unaware of the large dollop of paint on the tip of his nose.

Leaning on each other for mutual support, Korra and Asami staggered next door to their bedroom, the door slamming shut behind them. They didn't even try to get undressed; instead they simply collapsed onto the soft, inviting bed length ways, asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the comforter.

"They're both pushing themselves too hard; they're going to burn themselves out." Mako commented in a hushed tone once he was sure he could hear both women snoring, "Lin's been amazing, but I've used up all my vacation time, and she can't give me any more time-off without it looking like obvious favouritism."

"It's who they are; they're both use to tackling any problem head-on." Tonraq admitted warily, "I am only grateful that Korra is fully recovered."

"I'd offer to help more, but Tenzin has me over at Air Temple Island, helping to organise the new airbenders." Bolin looked somewhat deflated, "He only gave me the job so I could be close to Opal, but its turning out to be a lot more work then either of us realised."

"Welcome to the wonderful world of being a grown-up with grown-up responsibilities." Tonraq chuckled, "Don't worry; you're both doing everything you can, and I know they appreciate it. I'm going to be in the city for at least the next few weeks, probably longer, before I have to go home, but I know that Senna would love to stay-on and help. She's missed having Korra around ever since she left to train with the White Lotus, and she _adores_ the girls. I don't think it would take much convincing to have to stick around and play the doting grandmother a bit longer, especially given we missed the birth."

"They were a week early." Mako insisted, "You guys got here as soon as you could."

"You know that, I know that, I'm sure even Korra and Asami know that. But my wife?" Tonraq winced, "That's something I'm going to having to live with for a very long time."

"Damn, we really are growing up, aren't we?" Mako chuckled, "Jobs that actually pay real money, kids, responsibility, Bolin and Opal _finally_ getting married..."

"Hey, I never actually proposed." Bolin sounded somewhat sad, "Opal just decided that it was time and dragged me out to pick a ring; cost me most of the money I made from _The Adventures of Nuktuk: Hero of the South_."

"Varrick really did screw you over on that contract, didn't me?" Tonraq laughed, "Anyway, I thought you'd be use to dealing with strong women after Eska?"

"Piece of advice; never mention that name when Opal's in earshot." Mako winced, "She is _not_ happy they she has to invite her and Desna to the wedding."

**To Be Continued...**


	9. A Long Overdue Talk

_We will be seeing Bolin and Opal's wedding (I have _big _plans for that), and I promises that Korra_ will _discover what it means to be the Avatar in the new world, but not just yet._

_This interlude starts off dark, but gets a little _playful_ towards the end._

**A Long Overdue Talk**

Asami felt more than a little apprehensive: the last time she'd been in this very room, almost two years ago, part of her heart had died. But a lot had changed in that time; she had changed a lot, but she felt that she needed closure before she could truly move on with her life. There was a loud clang as the heavy metal doors opened, and a guard stepped in, followed by Prisoner 964372, better know to the rest of the world as Hiroshi Sato, one of the ringleaders of the Equalist Uprising.

Known to Asami as 'daddy', but not for a long time now.

He may have been dressed in a standard issue dark orange prison uniform, and his hair was a little greyer than she remembered, but he had lost none of the poise and dignity that had made him a legend in the business world. Part of Asami felt like she was a little girl again, but she quickly mentally shook that off, and maintained her composure.

"Daughter." He nodded to her as he sat down across the table from her, the two guards taking up positions against the rear wall, giving the two of them privacy but ready to intercede if needed.

"Father." Asami nodded, "You're looking well."

"The food is far less rich than I had grown accustom to, and mandatory time in the exercise yard has its advantages" Hiroshi admitted, "You are also looking... well."

"Thank you." Asami studied her father intently, "You know why I'm here?"

"I have my suspensions." Her father maintained his poker-face, "The parole board contacted you?"

"Much to my surprise, yes." His daughter raised an eyebrow, "They tell me you've been in therapy."

"Yes, with Guru Gyatso." Hiroshi nodded, "He has helped me come to terms with the anger I have been carrying around since your mothers death and taught me to express it in non self-destructive ways."

Asami blinked, taken aback by his sudden and completely unexpected openness.

"I felt anger over your mothers death, anger that I misdirected into negative feelings when I should have concentrated on the positives in my life." Her father continued, still almost completely unreadable, "I have accepted that, while your mothers death was a tragedy, it was the actions of an individual, and could just have easily been the work of a non-bender. It was wrong of me to latch onto one aspect of the crime, and that blocked my chakras, something have been working towards changing."

Asami studied her father intently, looking for the merest hint that he was trying to deceive her. His past actions had proven that he was a master of keeping his true intent and emotions hidden from those who were supposedly closest to him, and she was unwilling to open herself up to him again if it just allowed him to hurt her even more. She reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out the one item she'd brought with her and placed it on the table, covered by her hand. Her eyes fixed on her father, she mover her hand away, uncovering the photo; it showed her sitting with Senna and Yin in her arms, Korra standing behind her with a hand on her shoulders. It had taken by one of the most sort-after portrait photographers in Republic City for the official press release after the birth of her daughters, and had been printed and reprinted in newspapers and magazines around the world. But despite that, it was her favourite photo of them as a family, and she had had a larger copy of it framed and hung in her office at home.

Hiroshi looked down at the photo, and for the first time there was the faintest hint of emotion on his face, but he quickly regained his composure. He slowly reached out and took the photo and held it up to get a better look.

"I have a new family now, one of my own choosing; Senna, Yin and Korra." Asami did her best to keep her voice calm and level, "As you know, the Water Tribes don't go in for family names, so Korra has taken mine; she's Avatar Korra _Sato_ now." She smiled at the memory of her wife's matter-of-fact announcement of her intent, and noted the twitch in the corner of her fathers eye at the news, "As you've no doubt heard, Mako is their father, and he is part of my family, just like Bolin and Opal, Tenzin, Pema and their children, Lin, Korra's parents, Katara, Kya and Bomi, even Naga."

"I am... glad, that you have managed to find so much love in your life." Her father nodded slowly, "I closed myself off from you after your mothers death. I wanted to protect you from ever getting hurt like that again, but I also wanted to protect myself. I was not the father I should have been, and for that I apologise."

"You called me an ungrateful and insolent child. You even tried to kill me. And I was ready to forgive that, because you are my father, and despite everything, I _do_ love you." Asami replied with calm clarity, "I love you, but I don't _trust_ you, not yet. A few more years in here with your Guru, and maybe I'll be willing to talk to the parole board on your behalf. But I want you to think on something while you're in here; everything that was once yours is now mine; your home, your company, your fortune, even the secret accounts that you thought no one knew about, everything. I won't see you destitute; I'm not that petty, but you _will_ be watched. Like a lot of people, I think you forget that the White Lotus Society are more than just guards and instructors for the Avatar: they have people all around the world, experts in every field. And should _anything_ ever happen to my family, should anyone even attempt to hurt them or to take them from me, they will be hunted down, no matter _who_ they are or _where_ they try and hide. And then, well, like I said, the White Lotus have experts in every field, and they can be very... creative."

"You have learned well, my daughter." Hiroshi actually smiled, "But let me leave you with one final lesson; when you fight monsters, you should be careful that you do not become a monster yourself, for when you look into the abyss, the abyss looks into you."

"I have Korra and our children to anchor me." Asami stood, "Be well, father."

* * *

><p>Korra arrived home late, the peace talks having yet again run on far longer than anticipated. Fortunately, they at last seemed to be making headway, and it looked like they might be able to broker an actual agreement that could work. She was a little surprised to find the main house dark, save from a light in the window of the bedroom she shared with Asami, the house devoid of servants. There was normally at least one or two people working, no matter what the hour, and she'd made it a point to learn all their names and a little about them. She was the Avatar, but she was the whole worlds Avatar, even if her social standing had risen drastically over the last few years.<p>

"Asami?" She stepped into their bedroom to find her wife sat at her dressing table, her back to the door, "Where is everyone?"

"I gave the staff the night off." Asami explained as she removed her earrings and placed them in the jewellery box Korra had bought her for their first wedding anniversary, "Mako has the girls for the night, and your parents have decided to move into the guest house."

"Okay." Korra blinked, "Any reason why?"

"I went to see my doctor today." Asami stood and slowly turned round, Korra's eyes going wide when she saw just what her wife was wearing, "He's very happy with how well I've recovered from the birth of the twins." She smiled coyly, "In fact, he gave me some _very_ good news indeed..."

Korra was about to say something when Asami launched herself at her wife, knocking her down onto the bed, straddling her waist and kissing her deeply. Korra returned the kiss with gusto, but when she tried to put her arms around Asami to hold her tight, her wife stopped her and instead pulled her hands above her head. There was a faint click, and Korra felt something cold and hard around her writs.

"Handcuffs?" She asked.

"Platinum; something I found when going through the Equalist equipment in the basement." Asami looked down at her wife with predatory eyes, "Wasn't sure what to do with them at the time."

"So... no metal bending my way out of them then?" Korra asked as her wife started to kiss down her neck to her shoulder, "Am I going to need a Safe Word?"

**To Be Continued...**


	10. Talking About The Future

_...and we're back to longer looks at what's going on in peoples heads._

**Talking About The Future**

Asami sat back in the shadows and smiled.

The peace talks were being held in a hastily converted concert hall, as it was one of the few rooms in all of Republic City big enough to hold everyone. Representatives had gathered from all the major (and some of the minor) factions in the Earth Kingdom Civil War, including Suyin, representing Zaofu, the faction that had taken control of Ba Sing Se, the King of Omashu oldest son and the mayor of Gaoling. With them were President Raiko of the United Republic, Lord Zuko, who was acting as the official representative of the White Lotus Society, General Iroh, who had taken a leave of absence from the United Forces and was standing in for his mouther as representative of the Fire Nation, Tonraq, who was representing _both_ of the Water Tribes, Tenzin, representing the newly reborn Air Nomads, and finally Korra, who as Avatar, was generally agreed to be the closest thing to a truly neutral party, and was thus acting as chairwoman. Then there were countless aids, assistance and advisories, and that was before you got to the press, other interested parties and general busy-bodies who just wanted to see what was going on. Asami was only thankful that Future Industries had a private box that was mostly used as a perk for the directors or to entertain important clients; that at least allowed her some privacy and a good view.

And it had been interesting, especially early on; the tensions that had been simmering under the surface of the Earth Kingdom since at least the time of Avatar Kyoshi had broken out into open warfare after the assassination of Queen Hou-Ting by Zaheer and his Red Lotus anarchists. Much of the Middle and Upper Rings of Ba Sing Se were in ruins, with order only maintained by a well armed and stern-handed militia. Much of the countryside was plagued by bandits, warlords and other miscreants, and famine was widespread, despite the fact that the Earth Kingdom being home to some of the richest, most productive farming land in the entire world. There had been so many competing voices arguing so many differing points of view and priorities that Asami had been worried that it was going to end in a riot, not a peace treaty. But then Korra had stood up, took a deep breath, and whistled so loud it actually shook the chandeliers high up in the rafters. All eyes turned to her, unsure what the notoriously implosive and short-tempered young woman would do next, no doubt some worried that they'd get to see the Avatar State up close and personal.

But Korra didn't even raise her voice, and Asami was sure that was why it had worked. Instead she had reminded them, calmly but compassionately, that their main concern should always be the people upon whom their power structures were built. She reminded them that even the most powerful Lord could be toppled if the people grew angry enough that rage overcame fear. She also made it clear that, as the Avatar, she would not stand by and allow anyone to be subjugated or repressed by those simply looking to maintain their grip on power. She wasn't suggesting some world-wide revolution where everyone would be equal; the world was simply too complicated a place for that to work, but she would not allow despotism and corruption to prosper at the expense of those unable to speak up for themselves. For all her youth and and inexperience, Korra was still the Avatar, and the battles she had fought and won were well known. Her voice carried far beyond that hall and Republic City; it was heard by the highest lord to the lowliest worker, and many in power took heed of the way the wind was blowing, less they invite her wrath. There would always be those who failed to listen, and Asami was sure that her wife would be called upon to impose the peace she was working so hard to create before the dust finally settled, but she knew she was more than up to the task.

There had been a light in Korra's eyes when Asami had first met her that had been all-but extinguished by Zaheer and his followers. Some of it had returned after their wedding and the birth of their daughters, but that day, Asami once again saw the woman she had fallen in love with without even realising it. The proud, confident Korra that had stood up against what anyone else would have seen as impossible odds and dared to defy them was back. Older, wise, more aware of her limits, but reforged into a new Avatar, tempered by failures and setbacks. This was the Korra that had stood at deaths door and pulled herself back from the brink, regaining the use of her body and powers thought sheer force of will, wile also claiming the heart and the hand of the woman she loved, no matter what the world had put in her way. Asami couldn't help but feel imminence pride over the next couple of weeks as Korra stood up against all those in the way of peace, abut rather than hammer them down, brought them around to her way of thinking. Far from dictating terms, Korra had sort out common ground, pointing out where interests met and finding a way to build on them. Many in the press compared her to Avatar Aang and his work in creating the United Republic of Nations, something that had actually made Korra somewhat uncomfortable, which Asami had taken advantage off to tease her wife by asking when she was going to shave her head.

Korra had found a way to get her back for that, the memory of exactly _how_ always made Asami smile.

It hadn't been easy on their home life; Korra needed to be on-call round the clock, meaning that Asami was more often than not left to look after their daughters. The babies were at the stage when all they did was cry, sleep, eat and need their nappies changing, often more than one at the same time, and Asami was quickly at the point of physical and mental exhaustion. Fortunately, Senna made herself available to help out whenever Asami needed to go to the office, or just a quick nap to recharge. Mako also helped, having gotten himself a larger apartment with room for a small nursery so he could take the children over night. Asami and Korra had offered to buy him an entire house, but he had been too proud to accept. So instead they had signed the guarantee for the bank loan he needed, the Sato name meaning that he was able to get a far better deal than he otherwise would have. But unfortunately the Republic City Police Force was working overtime to provide security not only for the conference hall, but for all the diplomats and dignitaries attending, and he was often called in to work double shifts. Korra had been heartbroken when she saw the affect it was all having on her wife, and rashly considered pulling out entirely and handing over her responsibilities to Zuko or Tenzin. But Asami had put her foot down, reminding her that, as the Avatar, she had a responsibility to the word that had to come first, at least for the time being. The peace talks would end, hopefully with a treaty, and then they'd be free to spend some quality time together as a family.

And so the peace talks had draw on and on, most of the spectators drifting away the moment something new appeared in the headlines, but Asami attended every chance she got, often bring a picnic lunch she could share with Korra in the box during a break in the negotiations. She'd even sneaked Naga in a couple of times, allowing the Polar Bar Dog to see just what her life-long friend and often partner-in-crime was doing. Asami realised it must have been hard for her; while smart enough to understand that Korra often had to go places and do things without her, Naga wasn't able to ask why, or to understand an explanation if one had been forthcoming. This meant that she'd been spending a lot more time with Asami than she had Korra since the talks started, which was nice, because she'd taken to the two babies as if they were her own cubs, and it was brave reporter indeed who was willing to risk her anger just to get a close-up while they were just out for a walk in the park. Tonraq had, in a bid to blow off some steam after a particularly difficult day at the talks, disassembled one of the strollers that had been brought for his grandchildren and rebuilt it into something that could be securely fastened to Naga's saddle. Asami had been somewhat apprehensive about it at first, but her daughters seemed to love it almost as much as Naga did, so she had been forced to relent to the inevitable.

Not for the first time, Asami had wondered about just what kind of family she had married into.

Days became weeks, weeks became months, and still the talking went on, seemingly without end. And though it all, Korra had stood like a mountain before the crashing of the waves: ever calm but compassionate; steadfast, but always willing to find compromise. And while tired, Asami had been overjoyed to see that her wife had rediscovered her purpose as the Avatar; marriage and children had been what she'd need as Korra the woman, but this was what she needed as Avatar Korra, the Bringer of Balance. Asami had long ago accepted the duel nature of her wife's existence, and while she did feel a little jealous that Korra was spending so much time at work, she was at least able to talk about it with Pema and Senna, her friendship with the older women growing deeper and stronger than ever. One evening, after a particularly stressful day during which she'd been too busy to spend any time with Korra at all, Asami had broken down and wept openly on the floor of her home office. Senna had found her, and without a moments hesitation, had taken her in her arms and comforted her as if she was a young child again. Asami had felt such love and acceptance in those arms, as strong as she did with Korra, but distinctly different, that she had actually fallen asleep. Senna had sat there on the floor, cradling her daughter-in-law, for more than an hour before Korra had finally arrived home and carried her still sleeping wife to bed.

The next day, a shy and tearful Asami had asked Senna if it would be alright if she could call her 'mother' from then on. The older woman had looked at her for a moment, startled, then enveloped her in a fierce hug and the two woman had cried until they had no more tears. Senna had assured her that she would be honoured if Asami looked upon her as her mother, and that she had always looked upon Asami as a _true_ daughter, not just as her daughters wife. This had led to another fierce hug, and the bond between the two women had only grown closer since.

Eventually, the peace talks did reach a conclusion; the agreed upon treaty was far from perfect, and there were parts that some people found difficult to accept, but all could agree that it was a good first step, and laid the ground work that could be built upon later. The official signing ceremony had been a grand event, and Asami had filled the Future Industries box with her friends and family so they could all watch. Their daughters were there, all be it asleep the entire time, but it felt right that they should be there none the less; Korra was as much their mother as Asami was, and the treaty was something that she would be remembered for for centuries to come. The reception after the ceremony had been even larger and went on late into the night, so Senna had taken her grandchildren home so her daughters could spend some much needed time together.

"So, now that's over with, how about that 'quality time' we talked about?" Korra had asked as she slipped an arm around Asami's waist and held her close, "I hear Ember Islands nice this time of year, and it'd be nice to revisit some parts of our honeymoon now I'm out of that blasted wheelchair."

"Hum; tempting, but I'm afraid no." Asami had giggled when she saw the dejected look on her wife's face, "It looks like we're going to be heading for Zaofu in a couple of weeks; there's a certain wedding coming up that we wouldn't want to miss."

**To Be Continued...  
><strong>_(And yes, the next chapter will be Bolin and Opals wedding)_


	11. Talking From The Heart

_Time for a change of view_

**Talking From The Heart**

Korra loved watching Asami sleep. It was the little things, like the way her noes scrunched up when she was dreaming, her soft, almost inaudible snore and the way that she sometime sucked her thumb. Korra was happy to just sit and watch her wife in blissful slumber for hours, but it was something she hadn't had much of a chance to do of late, between children and the peace talks. That was why she was so happy that they were at last taking a holiday together, even if it technically was to attend Bolin and Opal's wedding in Zaofu.

Despite her best efforts, Asami had still found a way to bring her work with her: Future Industries was building a new factory complex at the bottom of the valley that was home to the Metal Clan, looking to take advantage of the rich natural resources of the area. But it wasn't just the factory they were building, it was houses, schools, shops, libraries, theatres, hospitals, parks, police and fire stations, a large airship port and all the other little bits and pieces that went into building an actual town. Suyin was fully behind the project; Zaofu and the area it controlled had come through the Earth Kingdom Civil War relatively unscathed, but that very same peace and security was attracting refuges from thousands of miles away, often arriving with little more than the cloths on their back. Varrick had proven to be a gift from the spirits, jumping in to the problem with both feet and organising almost everything, somehow managing what could otherwise have been a disaster, Zhu Li ever at his side, somehow keeping up with his seemingly boundless energy. Asami had redirected some of the workers, equipment and materials from the factory project to help, but not as much as she would have liked to if not for the Board holding her back. She had been furious when she received the telegram, and it had taken Korra almost two hours to talk her down from returning to Republic City so she could introduce them to her electrified glove.

In the end she'd dragged her wife into the bedroom so she could work off her frustration in a far more enjoyable, and less destructive, manner.

Once her head had cleared, Asami had talked to Varrick, and between them they'd come up with the idea of building the town to house the workers for the new factory and provide all the support structures it would need. They took it to Suyin, who eagerly signed off on it and set her husband Baatar to work planning the new settlement. Verrick had wanted to name it Verricksburg, but that had been quickly vetoed, and in the end it was a joke made by Bolin that had given the town its name; Asamivill. With the Metal Clan underwriting half the expense and providing all the manpower needed, it had been an easy sell to the board of Future Industries, even if they did complain about the relatively low profit the company would make from the project. Asami had been quick to turn their greed against them by reminding them of how well they'd done out of helping the Southern Water Tribe, both during their own Civil War and in the rebuilding afterwards. The Future Industries logo had been stamped on every freighter and airship that brought in supplies, every tent that house a disposed family, every piece of heavy equipment that helped rebuild their settlements and on the uniforms of the army of workers that had been brought in to help. While it had been intended as a purely altruistic act on Asami's part, you couldn't have bought that kind of advertising, and Future Industries was _still_ expanding its market share in the far south. By pointing out that the Earth Kingdom was far larger a market, she quickly brought them around to her way of thinking.

Fortunately, once that was taken care of, Asami had handed the project over to Varrick, if nothing else then to keep him out of the way until the actual wedding, avoiding any possible embarrassments once President Raiko arrived, and they'd been able to spend some much needed time together as a family. Korra had hated not spending time with Asami and the children during the peace talks, and it had taken an amount of self-control she hadn't known she was capable of not to hurl a fireball at one of the participants if they caused a session to run over. But she was the Avatar, and as Asami had reminded her, that meant that she had responsibilities to the entire world, not just her wife and children. But once the talks were over, she had thrown herself into family life with gusto, spending every moment she could with them. Every task, no matter how biennial or disgusting was a joy because she was doing it with her family. Feeding the children, burping them, changing their nappies, bathing them, getting up in the middle of the nigh to sooth them back to sleep; it didn't matter what it was, so long as it was time spent with her children. Her relationship with Asami had been easy enough to repair; they had locked themselves in their bedroom for an entire weekend, only opening the door so food could be delivered and leftovers taken away, and they'd remained naked almost the entire time.

Korra had promised herself that that the first chance they got, she was going to take Asami back to Ember Island for a second honeymoon, just the two of them, so they could _really_ reconnect without having to worry about keeping the noise down.

Guests from around the world had started to arrive for the wedding a week before the big day, and it had been a veritable Who's Who; aside from Korra, Asami and President Raiko, there had been Tonraq, Senna, Desna and Eska representing the two Water Tribes, Fire Lord Ursa and her husband representing the Fire Nation, the King of Omashu, Lord Zuko, Lin, General Iroh, Kya, Bumi, Katara, Tenzin, Pema and their children, as well as countless other dignitaries, friends and family. Mako was officially there as part of Republic Cities contribution to the security arrangements, but that was little more than a cover for the fact that he was the Best Man and had used up all his vacation days helping to look after his newborn daughters, and he had no actual duties. The wedding plans were several orders of magnitude beyond anything Korra had experienced before; the peace treaty had effectively turned Zaofu and the area around it controlled by the Metal Clan into a semi-autonomous kingdom in its own right, much like Omashu and Kyoshi Island, meaning that Opal was effectively a princess, and that made it a Royal Wedding. Fortunately, Suyin had everything running like clockwork, and had no intention of letting anything ruin her only daughters wedding.

She had missed out _one thing_, however, and two days before the wedding, a very nervous Opal had sort out Korra and asked to speak to her in private. After some coaxing, the young airbender had, blushing the entire time, admitted that she was still a virgin, Bolin and her having decided to wait until their wedding night. Korra could have been knocked down with a feather at that revelation; like everyone else, she had assumed that the two of them had long ago taken their relationship to the physical level, if for no other reason than just how affectionate they were with each other in public. But now here was Opal, just days away from her wedding, asking Korra just what to expect in the bedroom. Once the Avatar had realised just what she was being asked, it had been her own turn to blush, and admit that she had never actually been with a man like that; she had spent most of her life in the White Lotus compound near the South Pole, which had hardly been the best place to look for romance, and her relationship with Mako had mainly been missed dates due to conflicting schedules and arguing over said missed dates. She had actually been a virgin herself until her first time with Asami in the Fire Nation, and she very much doubted what experience she had gained since then would be of much use to Bolin and Opal. Still, she had sneaked into Tenzin's study one night and read some of the ancient Air Nomad scrolls he kept there for safe keeping, and some of them had been very insightful to the more... personal uses for airbending. She hadn't known what to do with them at the time, but they had proven to be very popular with Asami once Korra had regained her full mastery of the elements. So she had told Opal not to worry; that when two people truly loved one another, everything else would click into place, then quickly imparted some of what she had read in the scrolls before she became too embarrassed to talk.

Later that evening, she had found Mako sitting in the garden with a thousand yard stare, and it didn't take much wisdom to realise that he'd had a very similar conversion with Bolin, and the two of them had ended up drinking several bottles of rice-wine together in a bid to blot out the memory. Asami had found them, hours later, passed out on the floor. Covering them up with blankets, she had left them to it, and showed little compassion for them the next morning, until Korra had quietly explained just what they had been through the day before, at which point Asami had nodded understandingly and made them some fresh tea.

"Has it ever bothered you?" Asami asked as they lay in bed that night, "That you were a virgin when we got together, but I wasn't?"

"No, it's just a part of who you are. You grew up in Republic City, not some icy fortress in the middle of the Arctic tundra. You went to a regular school, rather than having carefully selected and vetted tutors. And you actually had a social life, where as I had my Avatar training." Korra had taken her wife in her arms and kissed her on the nose, "You simply had more chances to develop relationships than I did. I couldn't hate you for that any more than I could for the fact that you're a far, far better driver than I am, or the fact that you're taller than me."

"I wish you _had_ been my first." Asami snuggled up against her, feeling the warmth of their bodies becoming one, "The others, even Mako... that wasn't love, not really; it was just physical attraction."

"Are you saying that you're _not_ attracted to me?" Korra asked with mock alarm.

"Oh, I am _very much_ attracted to you, Kor." Asami pinched her in a special little spot she had discovered on their wedding night; a spot she was sure was specific to Korra and Korra alone, "But it's more than just the fact that you're the most beautiful woman in the world; you're kind, honest, brave, honourable, giving, tenacious and a whole host of over things that I don't think they have words for. But you're also the one person in the entire world I have ever fallen completely and irreversibly in love with, and I wish I had been able to give you the same gift you gave me."

"You'd never been with a woman that way before, had you?"

"Spirits, no! Until you, I was sure I was as strait as an arrow."

"Well then, in that respect, you _were_ a virgin, and I'm forever grateful that we lost our virginities to each other."

"You always know just what to say to make me feel better."

"I'm the Avatar." Korra had smiled as she kissed Asami softly, "Kind of my job."

The next day had brought a surprise in the form of Toph Beifong, the metalbending pioneer simply walking up to the main house and demanding to speak with the young man who thought he was worthy of her only granddaughter. It was hard to tell who was more shocked at her unexpected but none the less welcome arrival; Lin, Suyin or Bolin, who'd been forced to undergo a long interrogation by the intimidating former chief of police before she had put an arm around his shoulder, shoved a strong drink in his hand and welcomed him to the family. After reacquainting herself with her daughters, son-in-law and grandchildren, Toph had sort out Katara and Zuko, the three old friends soon laughing as they caught up on all that had happened since they had last been together. In many ways it had been strange to see the three of them together like that; their adventures together with the sadly absent Aang and Sokka were almost legendary, yet they seemed so... normal. Then it had been Korra's turn to be introduced to Toph, and she had found herself standing rigidly to attention as she was examined with sightless eyes and other senses far more acute.

"Suyin tells me you've been learning metalbending. That's good; I never could get Twinkle Toes to even _try_." Toph had snorted, "They also tell me that you helped teach Opal airbending. What's he matter; my granddaughter not good enough for Tenzin?"

"No, it was nothing like that!" Korra had responded instinctively, "We'd only just escaped from Ba Sing Se with the other airbenders we'd rescued, and Tenzin had to see them safely to the Northern Air Temple..."

"Where they were promptly captured by the Red Lotus, along with Opal!" Toph cut her off, pointing a finger at her accusingly, surprisingly accurate for someone who couldn't see, "Maybe if you'd been there, you could have stopped them?"

"I was trying to stop them from even reaching the temple!" Korra shouted, having overcome her intimidation, "I almost _died_ stopping them!"

"Yes. Yes you did." Toph had smiled warmly and offered her hand, "And I'd like to thank you for making sure Opal came home safely."

"I..." Korra took the hand and was immediately pulled into an embrace so tight she felt sure her ribs would break, "Can't... Breath... Need...Air!"

"Ha, Avatars! I guess they don't make 'em like they used to." Toph released her from the hug but instead held her by the shoulders, "You did good, kid, damn good. And don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Hell, I'm not sure that even Twinkle Toes himself could have done any better."

"I have to ask," Korra looked at the other woman somewhat sheepishly, "are you _ever_ going to call him 'Aang'?"

"Not in this lifetime." Toph slapped her on the shoulder so hard Korra was sure there'd be a bruise, "And not in the next, if I have anything to say about it."

The wedding itself was nothing short of spectacular; Suyin had pulled out all the stops, then found some more no one knew about and pulled them out as well. And at the middle of it all were Opal, who had looked simply radiant in her wedding dress, and Bolin, who looked like a million Yuan in the finely tailored suit Korra and Asami had bought him as an engagement gift. The two exchanged their vows with some difficulty, as they both kept breaking down in tears, but no one dared laugh at them once they saw the glares on the faces of Toph, Lin and Suyin. Korra and Asami were sat in the front row with the other close friends and family, promoted from mere 'honoured guests' further back. The seating arrangement had taken Suyin days of meticulous planning to work out, but even if Korra hadn't been the Avatar, or Asami the head of Future Industries, they would have been assured a place of honour due to their close friendship with the bride and groom. Korra held Asami's hand throughout the entire ceremony, remembering the love and joy she'd felt when they'd gotten married.

The reception afterwards went on long into the night, and Korra was grateful that her mother had agreed to watch the children, as it gave her time to relax with Asami. They had danced, or at least as close to dancing as Korra was ever able to get, and Asami had whispered in her ear and pointed to where Mako was dancing with Captain Kuvira of the Zaofu City Guard. It had already been announced that she was going to be taking part in an exchange program with the Republic City Police, and by the looks of things, she was getting a head start on cementing a close bond with a particular detective while she had the chance. Korra had just smiled and held her wife close; Mako could certainly do a lot worse, but if the two of them _did_ become involved, it would mean moving up the timetable of an important question she had to ask her friend.

**To Be Continued...**


	12. Talking About Family

_Split this chapter in two, the first half focusing on Korra and a little world building, the second showing what Asami is getting up to while her wife is away and other happenings in the city._

**Talking About Family**

Korra leaned against the deck rail, arched her back and groaned as it protested the stress she had been putting it under recently. While the peace treaty she had helped broker had stopped most of the fighting in the Earth Kingdom, there were still a few pockets of resistance that needed to be dealt with, and as the Avatar, that was her job. Mostly it was a case of sitting down with whoever was calling the shots and working out a way for them to fit into the picture that was emerging. But occasional, words failed, and she was required to use force. More often than not, just the threat of facing the Avatar in open combat was enough to bring the other side to the negotiating table, but she had been required bring a few die-hard warlords and would-be despots to heal the hard way. She had the full backing of a division of the United Forces, backed up by a contingent from the White Lotus Society, but she was still very much the big stick used to impose the peace treaty, and there seemed to be no end to the bushfire, border disputes and trade embargoes she was called upon to deal with. Unfortunately, all this meant being away from Republic City and her family for extended periods of time. Given her somewhat hectic travel scheduled, and still the somewhat fractured nature of the Earth Kingdom, it was almost impossible to get a reliable phone or radio connection, so she was reliant on only fashioned letters. She wrote to Asami almost every day, knowing full well that there was no way of knowing in what order they'd actually arrive, if at all. In return her wife sent her long replies filling her in on everything that was happening while she was gone, including photos where possible. It had almost broken Korra's heart to hear that her daughters had taken their first steps while she was away, and she was terrified that she'd miss their first words. If it wasn't for the fact that Asami had made sure there were photos of Korra and the four of them together as a family everywhere in the house, she would have been afraid that they might forget who she was entirely.

But now she was on what she had been assured was one final mission before they'd be heading home again. She wished she could believe them, but they'd made the same promise twice before, and she was starting to grow frustrated in more ways than one.

"It isn't easy," Iroh appeared at her side, hands clasped behind his back, "being away from family for so long."

"No, no it isn't." Korra agreed, striating up, her back protesting even more, "How do you do it?"

"I remind myself that my family is what I'm fighting for; to keep them safe." The General explained, "I have to believe that my sacrifice, the sacrifice of everyone under my command who has to leave loved ones behind, helps keep those loved ones from harm."

"I met your wife and sons when I was in the Fire Nation." Korra nodded with a smile, "You're a very lucky man."

"It helps that I married a soldier who understands the needs of service and duty." Iroh chuckled, "That said, Hiruko was a Captain in the Kyoshi Warriors; having a wife who can so easily hand you your arse you helps keep a man honest."

"I know the feeling; Asami can certainly handle herself." Korra smiled, all be it somewhat sadly, "I still miss her and the girls."

"If there is one thing I learned growing up, it is that there is nothing more important than family." Iroh nodded in agreement.

"This from a man with an interesting family." Korra raised an eyebrow, "You including Princess Azula in that?"

"My great aunt spent two years wandering the Forgetful Valley, and from what my grandparents and others have told me of how she was before, she was greatly changed by her time there, all be it not completely." Iroh explained, "While she had found a kind of inner peace she had been lacking, her personality remains far from... pleasant, at times, even to this day. She did, however, come to the realisation that she had been in love for many years, but had been unable to express it properly. Fortunately for her, the feeling was more than mutual."

"If what I've read about her is even half true," Korra chuckled, "I feel sorry for the guy."

"Oh, I don't know; great-aunt Ty Lee seems to be very happy with the way things have worked out." Iroh replied deadpan, then laughed as the Avatar's jaw dropped wide open, "What; did you think yours was the _first_ marriage between two women that the Fire Nation has ever seen? We have a long tradition of equality between the sexes, I'll have you know, and marriage equality is only part of that."

"I just..." Korra blinked a few times, "It's not something the books covered."

"No, they like to concentrate on the more... colourful aspects of her youth." Iroh admitted, somewhat sadly, "Don't get me wrong; she did some truly terrible things during the Hundred Years War, but I've only ever known her since she came back from the Forgetful Valley. She's actually really nice, once you get to know her. She can be a little full-on at times, but then, have you met my family?"

"I see your point." Korra nodded, "Family can be complicated."

"You don't know the half of it." Iroh agreed, "You've met Admiral Azulon?"

"Yes, all be it briefly."

"He is my cosine; the son of Azula and Ty Lee." Iroh looked at the Avatar, "And before you ask, Ty Lee carried him, but Azula has always claimed him as her son."

"But that's... impossible. Trust me; I looked into every possible way for Asami and I to have children."

"I have no doubt that you did, but the fact remains the same; Azula has always claimed that she was the one who 'fathered' Azulon, for want of a better term, and Ty Lee has never once contradicted her. It is something that, as a family, we have learned to accept, even if I believe that there is more to it than that."

"Okay, you win." Korra threw up her hands in defeat, "You have a stranger family than me."

"Not everything in life is a competition, Avatar." Iroh laughed as he turned and walked off, "Just know that, if you ever need to talk, there are those of us who are no stranger to how complicated things can be when you have an unusual family."

Korra went back to leaning on the railing, wondering what her family was doing.

* * *

><p>Asami collapsed into her chair, exhausted.<p>

She had thought that her daughters were a handful before, but now they were starting to walk, they were displaying a knack for getting into all kinds of mischief. If she kept her eye on one, the other would start doing something they shouldn't, and vice-versa. Senna had returned to the South Poll, having stayed far longer than she'd ever intended, but she had started to miss her husband. Asami and Korra had discussed hiring a nanny to help out, but that had been before Korra had been called away with her Avatar duties, so talking about it was as far as they had gotten. The White Lotus Society had offered to find someone, but it was something Asami felt her wife really should have a say on, so she had polity turned them down for the time being. And how difficult could it be? Toph had raised two daughters single handed while serving as Chief of Police, even if she wasn't exactly the ideal roll model. And Asami missed having Korra around. Just being near her wife brightened her day, made her feel complete. Yes, the children helped, but it was still felt as if a part of her was missing.

Having Opal around helped, even if the young airbender was concentrating on her own pregnancy.

It was fun to watch Bolin running around like a headless chicken, completely at a loss as to what to do and what was expected of him, and it gave Asami something other than her own children and work to focus on. The young couple were still settling into the house that had been built for them on Air Temple Island, the unexpected but welcome news of their first child postponing their move to the Southern Air Temple, which Tenzin wanted them to take over the running of. It had been much to everyone's surprise that Bolin had proven to be a skilled organiser, even if watching him work could be a little worrying at times. But somehow, despite how disorganised he might seem, he had shown great skill in keeping everything else running like clockwork, and had proven to be a true asset to the reborn Air Nation. That, coupled with Opals growing skill as an airbender meant that they were the perfect choice to take over the running of one of the four main temples of the Air Nation. Asami knew that Opal had hoped that they'd be given the Northern Temple, as it was closer to Zaofu, but it needed to be completely rebuilt from the ground up after being utterly destroyed by the Red Lotus, the ruins scavenged by refuges from the Earth Kingdom Civil War and opportunists looking for something they could sell. The Eastern Air Temple was much closer to Ba Sing Se, and as such was considered too important a posting for such inexperienced hands. They had been offered the Western Air Temple, but Opal had vetoed it due to its close proximity to the North Pole, and thus Eska.

Opal trusted her husband implicitly; his former fiancé, not so much.

Realising that she'd need something to fill what little spare time she had, Asami had found a work related project close to her heart. Shortly after Katara had conformed that she was pregnant, Asami had found herself looking at her Satomobile in a new light. As much as she loved the highly customised tourer, it was hardly optimised with young children in mind, and she had soon found herself doodling plans for a new, more family-friendly vehicle with an emphasis on safety and economy. This soon grew into fully realised blueprints and orders for a prototype before Asami even realised what she was doing, but for once the other directors seemed willing to let her run with one of her pet projects to see if she'd inherited her fathers knack for innervation. The first prototype had been an absolute failure; it was far too heavy for the smaller engine to move around at anything approaching a reasonable speed. Fortunately, the new factory in Zaofu had started producing some exciting new alloys as part of their airship production line, and Asami had ordered some sent down for testing. They proved to be just as strong as the old steal, but only a fraction of the weight and with only a negligible increase in cost if the production line in Zaofu was expanded. She had shown the second prototype to the board, and they had unanimously voted to put it into immediate production. Asami smiled as she looked across the room to the table where one of the posters announcing the launch of the new Future Industries Satomobile, the Harmony, in just over a months time.

She only hoped that Korra would be back in time to attend the grand unavailing with her.

**To Be Continued...**


	13. Talking To Yourself

_This is an odd little interlude, and shorter than the rest, but I felt compelled to write it anyway._

**Talking To Yourself**

"Hello. If you're watching this, then I am dead, and you're the next Avatar. Sorry kid, but those are the breaks; take a deep breath, calm yourself down, and try not to freak out too much." Korra looked into the camera and smiled, "If my instructions have been followed, then you should be watching this shortly after you're informed that you're the new Avatar. Hope I didn't leave you too much of a mess to sort out, but knowing my luck, I probably died doing something monumentally stupid, and for that I apologise. If you're sitting there, hoping for some inspirational words of wisdom to help you cope, then I'm sorry to say I've not got any. I plan to update this recording periodically, but if this is the only one, then it means I died a hell of a lot younger then I'd hoped, long before I gained any true wisdom for myself."

She paused for a moment, leant forward and clasped her hands together under her chin.

"What I can tell you is that you don't have to go through all this alone; there will always be people ready and willing to help you. These people are your family, even if they're not related to you by blood. They are precious, and you should treat them accordingly. Trust them, listen to their guidance, but always remember that you and you alone are the Avatar, and when push comes to shove, you're the one who has to decide between right and wrong. I'm not saying don't let anyone get too close to you; love is one of the most important aspects of what it is to be human, and for all your awesome power, you're still just as human as everyone else. But you also need to be able to stand apart and see the world as a whole. It'll be hard; you'll probably not want to do it, but you will find a way. I was luck enough to fall in love with someone who understood my duties and responsibilities as the Avatar, and who helped keep me on the path. Don't worry if you're worried that you don't have it in you; you wouldn't have been chosen unless had that inner strength. Even if, like with me, it takes you a while to find it."

"Now, you'll no doubt have a lot of people talking to you about the need for you to bring balance to the world. Well, balance can be a tricky thing, and it may not be evident at first. I allowed the spirit portals to remain open, and I'm still trying to find the balance in that almost three years later. So don't be afraid if you make mistakes, we all make them. The trick is learning from them so you don't make the same mistake again. And that goes for love as much as anything." Korra chuckled, "You know, it's actually kind of funny; me sitting here, talking to you about love and life when you probably know how mine worked out. I still have all that to look forward to, and so do you. Being the Avatar is the greatest adventure in the world; you will go to such wondrous places and meet the most amazing people, and you'll touch the lives of people you'll never meet in ways you'll never comprehend. And I'm not trying to weigh you down with the responsibility that goes with it; you'll find that out for yourself soon enough. Just never forget the good that goes with it. If I hadn't been the Avatar, I probably would have spent my entire life without leaving the Southern Water Tribe, gotten married, had kids, grown old and died. And it would have been a _good_ life, don't get me wrong, but I never would have travailed to Republic City, made the friends I have, or fallen head-over-heals in love with the most amazing woman in the entire world, who agreed to become my wife as well as my best friend. And if you're expecting me to tell you how we managed to managed have a family together on a film that _anyone_ could find and watch, then you're sadly mistaken. If you're really that interested, come seek me out in meditation some time and we'll talk."

"I don't really have anything else to add right now, so I'll call it a night. As I said, I plan on adding to this film as times goes on, and hopefully there's a whole stack of them for you to watch, and you'll see me growing old and grey with maybe a marble or two rolling around upstairs." Korra tapped the side of her head, "So I'll leave you with this for now: the world is yours now, so take good care of it. And remember, when you need me the most, I'll be there to offer what advice I can. Sorry I went and got the connection to all the other previous Avatars severed, but that'll probably hurt me than it will you. On the plus side, no long line of long dead people telling us how badly we screwed up, so there is that. Good luck kid; I'll be seeing you."

Korra shut down the camera, removed the film and placed it in a tin. She carefully marked it for the attention of the next Avatar, then sealed it with wax before placing it in a box she had bought especially. The box then went into the bottom draw of the desk in the small office she had created for herself shortly after moving into the Sato estate with Asami. She had been planning to make the film for some time, but had kept it to herself; she knew that Asami was still worried for her state of mind after her near death at the hands of Zaheer and his Red Lotus maniacs, and she didn't want to give her any more reason to worry. But after her extended mission to the Earth Kingdom, and more close calls than she was every going to admit to her wife, she'd felt it was finally time to sit down and compose what would hopefully be the first of dozens if not hundreds of messages to her eventual successor. She'd considered writing letters or keeping some kind of diary, but writing really wasn't her thing, where as talking was. So she'd secretly dug out the camera Asami had bought to record their daughters growing up, and committed what wisdom she had to the ages.

Putting the camera back where it belonged, she made her way though the near silent house. Naga was asleep outside the girls room, but looked up when Korra approached. Satisfied that she wasn't an intruder who needed their throat ripped out, the polar-bare dog settled back down for the night. Korra carefully opened the door, the light from the hallway spilling in over the cribs that held her two sleeping daughters. They looked so peaceful; Yin clutching her favourite stuffed Sky Bison to her chest, Senna having got herself into some strange pose that only a yoga master should have been capable of, that Korra didn't want to risk waking them by entering the room, even if she desperately wanted to kiss them goodnight again. Closing the door again, she patted the ever-faithful Naga on the head and made her way to the room she shared with Asami. The main light was still on, but Asami was fast asleep, pages of the report she'd been reading scatted about the bed and the floor. Gathering them up, Korra placed them on her wife's dresser and quickly changed into her nightwear. Turning off the light, she slipped into bed and curled up beside Asami, her chin resting on her wife's shoulder.

Korra closed her eyes with a smile; it was good to be home.

**To Be Continued...**


	14. We Need To Talk

_Something I hinted at back during Opal and Bolin's wedding comes to pass.  
><em>_Prepare for maximum discomfort and embarrassment!_

**We Need To Talk**

Asami sat clutching Korra's hand, doing her best to look calm and casual.

It wasn't the location; she'd been in Mako's apartment more times then she could count, normally when dropping off or collecting the girls. But it wasn't Mako's apartment anymore; it was Mako and Kuvira's apartment now; it had been for a little over three months, since the metalbender had officially moved in after unofficially living there in all but name for about as long. And she was happy for Mako, happy that he'd apparently found someone he could actually make a relationship work with at long last, they both were. It just didn't make the conversation they were about to have any easier.

"So, you want another child." Kuvira sat across the low coffee table from the two guests, Mako sitting somewhat uncomfortably at her side, "Or to be more precise, Korra wants to have Mako's child."

"That... just about sums it up, yes." The Avatar nodded somewhat sheepishly, "I take it he, explained the arrangement we had?"

"Yes, although he was somewhat hazy about the finer details." Kuvira arched an eyebrow, "Why now?"

"Well, several reasons, really." Asami squeezed her wife's hand, "Senna and Yin are almost old enough to start at nursery, the world's settled down enough that Korra can take the time off needed to have a child, and we always wanted more children."

"That explains why you've decided to have another child now," The metalbender looked at them carefully, "But not why you want it to be Mako's?"

"Don't I get a say in this?" Mako asked.

"No dear," Kuvira patted him on the knee without looking round, "you don't."

"Well, to be perfectly honest, there are only a handful of men we know and trust enough to even consider asking." Korra looked as uncomfortable as Mako, "And as he is Senna and Yin's father... ideally we would like our children to be related to each other by blood."

"The only other real option would be Bolin," Asami winced at the idea, "and I don't see Opal going for that."

"Yes, she can be surprisingly..." Kuvira searched for the right word, "assertive when she wants to be. Even more so now she has a baby of her own on the way."

"This first of many, from what she's said in the past." Mako joked nervously. "I only hope my little brother is up to it."

All three women gave him icy stares, and his visible shrunk down into his chair.

"And you're sure you want him to be the father of your child?" Kuvira asked, not taking her eyes off of her boyfriend, "You were lucky last time; Senna and Yin seem to take after their mother."

"I'll be quiet." Mako whispered meekly, eyes cast down at the floor.

"For all his faults, and spirits know he has more than a few, Mako is an amazing father to our girls." Asami found herself coming to his defence, "We know it hasn't been easy for him, given some of the things that have been said or insinuated, and I think we'd be hard pressed to find anyone willing to go through all he has without cracking like an egg."

Mako gave her a sincere smile, but remained silent.

"Yes, I have to admit, when I first arrived in Republic City, I was surprised just how interested the press was in your rather... unusual domestic arrangement." Kuvira nodded thoughtfully, "It took him a long time to open up to me."

"How did you manage it in the end?" Korra asked.

"Oh, nothing much; I had sex with him." The metalbender replied bluntly, "You'd be surprised just how much a man is willing open up about his inner feelings when it comes to pillow talk."

There was a moment of pure silence as the other three people in the room locked their eyes onto her.

"That's... certainly interesting to know." Asami swallowed, "Maybe if I'd known it back when I was dating him, I could have saved a lot of time and effort."

"Sweetie; boundaries," Korra petted her on the knee.

"You're asking _my_ boyfriend to help _you_ get pregnant, and you're worried about your _wife's_ boundaries?" Kuvira chuckled, "Oh spirits, this is even better than I'd hoped!" she noticed the way the others were looking at her, mouths agape, "Oh for the love of... if you want to have Mako father your baby, and he's willing, then of cause I'm not going to stand in your way. I went into this relationship fully aware of the more unusual aspects, and while I can't say it thrills me, I'm not going to try and change it now. I have, however, one condition, and I hope it's one you can all live with." She looked at the other three each in turn, her expression suddenly serious, "This is a one time only deal; if you decide you want more children, you'll have to find someone else. If for no other reason than Mako's life is going to be getting very busy in the not too distant future."

"I... I don't understand." her boyfriend looked at her blankly.

"Honey, for a detective, you can be so incredible clueless at times." Kuvira took his hand and smiled sweetly, "I haven't needed to use anything from that green box I keep on top of the bathroom cabinet because I know how much it embarrass you since I moved in, I've been throwing up every morning for the past two weeks and you yourself have commented on how tight my uniform has been getting of late."

Mako stared at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

"She's trying to tell you she's pregnant, you fool!" Asami kicked him under the table, "For heavens sake, hug the woman!"

Mako half fell out of his chair, but managed to land on his knees in front of Kuvira, and he lent in to embrace her tightly. He then quickly eased up, terrified that he'd somehow hurt the small life growing inside her. His eyes darted up and down from her face to the small bulge only just visible in her abdomen and back again, completely unable to find any words.

"I swear, there must be something in the water in this city." Kuvira leaned forward and kissed him on the tip of his nose, "First Asami, then Opal, now me and as soon as we can arrange it, Korra."

"Maybe it's just the men in our lives?" Korra laughed, "The two of them really should ware singes; _warning! may cause pregnancy_."

"I'm so happy for the two of you." Asami leant back in her chair, "Looks like we're going to have another wedding to arrange."

"Let's take it one step at a time, shall we?" Kuvira wrapped her arms around Mako's head and hugged him close, "Just because this big lug went and knocked me up without even trying doesn't mean I'm ready to marry him. Not just yet, anyway."

"I take it this is something else I don't get a say in?" Mako asked, his voice somewhat muffled.

"No sweetie, you don't." his girlfriend patted him on the top of the head, "If I've learned one thing about the men in your family from observing you and your brother, it's that you need someone in your life to make the big decisions for you. Bolin has Opal, and now you have me."

"I... think I can live with that." Mako nodded his head slightly, unwilling to break away from their embrace, "Thank you."

"I think we'll leave the two of you alone." Asami stood, pulling Korra up with her, "We have a couple of weeks before, well, Korra is going to be ready."

"Thank you." Kuvira smiled from over the top of Mako's head, the detective just waking with one hand.

"And again, thank you and congratulations." Korra smiled, her mind already turning to the next conversation she was going to have to face.

The trip back from Mako and Kuvira's had been pleasant enough, with Korra letting Asami talk about the rather unusual afternoon they'd had as she drove through the pre-rush hour traffic. The Avatar always let her wife drive; it was something Asami enjoyed, even if their highly customised Harmony was no where near as sporty as her old tourer, and try as she might, Korra was still a terrible driver. On the rare occasions she had to take Senna and Yin anywhere and Asami wasn't available, she got one of the White Lotus sentries to drive, out of genuine fear that she might have an accident and hurt her daughters. She'd remained silent throughout the drive, keeping an ear open to what Asami was saying in case there were any questions, but him mind was already elsewhere. Arriving home and a near manic Bolin, the two women had been unable to contain their mirth; he'd offered to babysit for the afternoon in order to gain practice at dealing with young children, but it was clear that his twin nieces had run him ragged. It would have been easier if he'd started when they were still crawling, but now they were not only walking but running, they were proving to be every bit the handful as their parents.

"Mommy!" Yin had called out the moment they open the front door, trotting up to them with her arms wide open, "Ma!"

Korra and Asami had been worried at first about how their daughter would differentiation between them, but it hadn't taken the two of them long to work out that Asami was '_Mommy_' and Korra was '_Ma_', a distinction that had been decided by the toss of a coin. They had already agreed that this would carry over to any future children, less it become confusing for all involved.

"Hey slugger!" Korra picked her daughter up, "What have you been up with uncle Bolin?"

Yin smiled, and then casually tossed a small fireball across the room. One of the floor tiles leapt up and stopped it from hitting the wall, a giggling Senna standing in the doorway.

"Hi guys," Bolin staggered over, his eyebrows singed and his tunic covered in dirt, "You'll _never_ guess what happened while you were out..."

**To Be Continued...  
><strong>(_and yes, I do seem to enjoy picking on Bolin_)


	15. Unable To Talk About It

_Those of you who have read some of my earlier works will know that I can be unusually cruel to characters I like. I put this down to the fact that I tend to use the characters I know the best to explore difficult and at times uncomfortable topics._

_So be forewarned; here be feels!_

**Unable To Talk About It**

A thick blanket of snow had covered Republic City as the Winter Solstice approached, but Korra was in no mood to enjoy it.

While Asami had fallen pregnant almost immediately, Korra had been met with month after month of failure, her depression only made worse as Kuvira's progressed, and she was forced to watch just how happy the metalbender was with Mako. Fearing that the poison the Red Lotus had used on her may have done some lasting and heretofore unknown damage to her body, they'd contacted Katara for advice, hoping she might have some insight. But the healer was too old to travel all the way to Republic City in person, so had refereed them to Kya, who was passing through the city on her way back south. Hours of careful examination had yielded no answers, and Korra was forced to face the very real possibility that she simply might not be able to have a child of her own. Asami had done her best to offer what comfort she could, going as far as to say that she would gladly carry another child if that was what it took. Korra knew her wife meant well, but her words had left like a knife to the heart; her inability to bare a child was another entry on the long list of things she had failed at.

First there had been her inability to airbend, or to connect with the previous Avatars. Then she had failed to defeat Amon and his Equalist chi blockers time after time. And while had overcome these challenges, it had been a far closer run thing then she was willing to admit openly. After that had come her battles with her crazed uncle Unalaq and chaos spirit Vaatu, during which she had lost her connection to the previous Avatars, apparently for good, and even temporarily lost her status as the Avatar. It was only through luck and the intervention of her friends and family that she was able to overcome the forces aliened against her and emerge victorious, all be it at a terrible price. Then had come Zaheer and the Red Lotus Society, who came closer than anyone before or since to ending her life. They had managed to do the one thing all the other enemies she had faced failed at; they had broken her spirit, driving her to the point of taking her own life before Asami had stepped in and stopped her. And it wasn't just the pain, the inability to control her own body or the elements that had so totally crushed her: it was how well the Air Nomads had done at replacing her, how much pleasure Tenzin had taken in the rebirth he had set in motion, never once realising that every time he boasted about the great work that they were doing taking up the slack while Korra slowly recovered, he was effectively spitting in her face. Amon, Unalaq, Vaatu and Zaheer had each told her that the world no-longer wanted nor needed the Avatar, but it was Tenzin who had almost proven them right without even realising it.

Korra bore him no ill-will; he had done what he thought was best, and the world had desperately needed _something_ to hold it together while she recovered.

If not for Asami's constant and unwavering love, Korra was sure that she would never have been able to drag herself out of the depths of depression, let alone regained the strength of her body and control of the elements. And she had found her purpose again as Avatar Korra, who brokered the peace treaty that ended the Earth Kingdom Civil War. But now she was facing the possibility of losing what it meant to to Korra, the wife and mother. Spirits knew, she couldn't have love her daughters any more if she had carried and given birth to them herself. But there was something deep inside her that had yearned to feel a new life growing inside of her, and to welcome that life into the world she had helped create for it. Driven by desperation, she had even gone as far as to seriously contemplate taking Mako into her bed to see if they could conceive a child the natural way. But even in the darkest depths of her desperation, she could not bring herself to break the vows she had made to Asami, even if she had been able to convince herself that her wife would have understood.

To say nothing of the fact that Kuvira would have killed her if she even suggested it.

Faced with the possibility that she might never fall pregnant, Korra had found herself seeking solace in the bottom of a bottle. While she was never a big drinker, her robust constitution meant that it took a _lot_ to get her to the point of blissful oblivion, but thankfully the Sato estate had a large and well stocked wine cellar laid down by Asami's father to entertain guests. It had been easy enough to sneak down, find a bottle of something and sneak back up to her office to consume her loot. She had tried sake, schnapps, whiskies, wines and ales from around the world, before discovering a large stock of vintage Omashu Brandy. It was brutality strong stuff; a whiff of the cork had ruined her seance of smell for days, but it was able to take her from sobriety to sweet oblivion quickly and efficiently. At first it had just been a shot to take the edge off of an evening, something to help her sleep. Then she started needing two shots, and earlier. As the weeks passed and she remained without child, the dark cloud hanging over her grew larger and darker, and only the sweet kiss of alcohol could keep it at bay.

Then came the day that Opal gave birth to her daughter; Poppy. And while Korra had been genuinely happy for her friend, she felt like something inside her was dying as she forced herself to smile and say all the right things. Everything just seemed to be going right for the young airbender, almost as if her life was somehow blessed, and something changed inside Korra. While she still went through the motions of trying to get pregnant, deep down inside where even Asami couldn't see, she had given up. Perhaps if there had been more for her to do as the Avatar, she might have been able to concentrate on that, but the world seemed to have stabilised, almost as if it was catching its breath after all it had been through. She had her family, but Asami was concentrating on work now that the girls were started at pre-school, and her parents were half the world away. All she had left was the bottle, and soon it became all she seemed able to care about. The hangovers were hell, but she soon discovered that these could be chanced away with a quick shot or two, or three or four. Just to get the day started right, the smell disguised by the extra-strong mouth-wash she'd started using. A lifetime seeking what little privacy she could while surrounded by bending instructors and guards meant that she was well versed in hiding things from people, and skilled at letting people see what they expected to see. As her dependence on alcohol increased, she was forced to find new ways to cover up the departmental effect it was having elsewhere; when she found it difficult to concentration while teaching Senna and Yin to bend properly, she hid it by pretending that it was all part of a game the three of them were playing. Then when one morning, after she fell asleep while making love to Asami the night before, she passed it off as stress. Soon she found herself seeking excuses not to spend time with her family, coming up with more and more elaborate excuses. Asami knew her wife was depressed over her seeming inability to conceive, so cut her more and more slack, never realising the truth.

Then came the day Korra had been dreading for a long time: Kuvira went into labour.

Sitting in the hospital with Asami and the girls, the only family the expectant parents had in the city now that Opal and Bolin had left to take over the Southern Air Temple, Korra had started to go into withdrawal. But rather than take it as a sign that she had a problem with alcohol, she saw it as a sign that she needed a drink. Unfortunately, she'd been unable to find a way to sneak off somewhere, and she had been forced to remain where she was and deal with the dual horrors of seeing another one of her female friends become a mother while she remained childless, and the physical and mental pains of sobering up fully for the first time in weeks. Shortly after Mako had presented them with his first-born son, San, Korra had made an excuse that Senna and Yin needed to go home to bed, and left quickly while Asami stayed behind. No sooner was she sure that her daughters were asleep than she had downed almost an entire bottle of brandy, quickly returning her to her regular, comfortably numb existence. When Asami had arrived home an hour later and found her wife asleep on the couch, fully clothed, she put it down to a long, stressful day and thought nothing more of it.

Korra's world came crashing down around her two weeks before the Winter Solstice.

Asami took the girls out for some retail therapy, leaving Korra behind to put up the decorations. But the forced cheer of it all had been too much for her to face without a couple of drinks inside her, and once she started, she had been unable to stop. The first bottle had quickly led to a second, and she decided that she'd just close her eyes for a moment, then get everything sorted for when her family got home. She hadn't meant to fall sleep in the middle of the living room, clutching a half-drunk bottle of brandy to her chest, but that was how Asami and their daughters had found her. Thinking quickly, and realising that the children were too young to understand what was happening, Asami sent them to their room to put away the cloths they had bought. Once she was sure they were out of the way, she had grabbed the bottle from Korra's limp arms and poured the content down the sink. She considered changing the locks on the wine cellar, but she knew that Korra would find a way through no matter what. So instead she had lifted her wife into one of the over-stuffed armchairs and sat patiently waiting for her to wake up.

Korra had thought that the hangover was bad, but that was before she looked up to find Asami sitting across from her. Her wife didn't look angry; anger was something Korra could have dealt with. Instead she looked disappointed and hurt in a way that cut Korra to her very soul. Not raising her voice and never once mentioning her own feelings, Asami simply informed Korra that she'd better come up with something tell their daughters when they came down for dinner, then walked away. Something about the way her wife just walked away from her flipped a mental switch inside Korra and she had a moment of perfect clarity, in which she saw the self-destructive path she was on and everything that it was going to cost her. She also saw that she wasn't strong enough to simply go cold turkey, so she quickly made plans. First, she had the White Lotus sentries go through the guest house and remove anything even remotely alcoholic, followed by most of the furniture. Stocking the small pantry with food that was quick and easy to prepare and eat, she kissed her children goodnight, hugged Asami, and locked herself away to face her inner demons.

The first night had been okay; there was enough residual alcohol in her system to see her through until dawn, but then she awoke with the single worst hangover of her life and shaking from withdrawal. With nothing stronger than tea and fruit juice to call on, she had forced herself to sweat it out, sitting on the couch, hugging her legs as her entire body hurt in a way she hadn't felt since her brush with death at the hands of the Red Lotus Society. She felt sick to the pit of her stomach, and only just made it to the bathroom before she was violently unwell, only stopping when there was nothing more to bring up. Feeling worse, both mentally and physically than she had ever done in her entire life, she had been sorely tempted to break out of the house and find something, _anything_, alcoholic to take the pain away. But the memory of that look on Asami's face filled her mind, and she forced herself to endure a sleepless night of pain and misery. Days two and three passed much the same as day one; she managed to eat some instant noodles and keep them down, but she spent most of the time curled up in a shivering ball of misery with a blanket wrapped around her. Day four saw her ranting and raving as the threw the furniture about, raging against what she saw as the injustice of the world. She shouted and cursed and yelled at the walls, demanding to know why she had been chosen to be the Avatar? Why what was supposed to be such a great honour had taken from her something that was such a basic and fundamental part of what it was to be a woman? She cursed Asami, Opal and Kuvira, how happy then had been while pregnant and after giving birth. Why, she demanded to know of the universe, should they have that happiness that had been denied her? She cursed Zaheer and every last member of the Red Lotus Society, convinced that it was their act that had poisoned her body against ever creating new life. She cursed herself for being weak; too weak to be the Avatar if something as simple as a bottle of brandy could defeat her. Eventually, she ran out of words and just screamed at the walls until her throat became raw and she was unable to make a sound, so she went back to throwing the furniture around.

Day five was spent in silence, unmoving as tears ran down her face in unending torrents.

That night she lay still on the floor, eyes open but unfocused. All strength, both physical and mental had left her, and she waited for death to finally claim her, convinced that her family and the wider world would be better off without her. Maybe the next Avatar would be better, could lean from her mistakes, as she was sure the White Lotus would make sure they were told of them. Some point in the small hours, she closed her eyes and waited for oblivion, but it did not find her. Instead she awoke to find herself being held in two strong but tender arms. Looking up, she saw a woman, dressed in a green kimonos, face covered in white and red make-up. Korra knew that she should recognise her, but was unable to focus her mind. She tried to speak, but the stranger silenced her with a finger to her lips, then placed one hand on Korra's forehead, the other on her abdomen. A warm feeling seemed to envelop the Avatar, spreading out from where the hands were touching her until it infused every last inch of her very being. It soothed away all the pain, anger and guilt that had built up inside her, leaving only a calm peace in its place. She felt as if she was floating weightlessly in the cosmos, far from anything or anyone that could hurt her, yet still connected to the world in a way she simply could not articulate. She looked up at the woman, seeking some kind of explanation, but the stranger simply smiled, leaned back and faded away to nothingness, leaving Korra alone in infinity.

It was mid-afternoon when she finally awoke, her body sore and stiff, her cloths and hair caked in grime and sweat. Dragging herself to her feet, she staggered into the bathroom and sat under the shower, fully clothed until the water went from piping hot to icy cold. Drying herself off, she combed out all the knots that had formed in her hair, then silently dressed in a fresh set of cloths. Leaving the guest house on still somewhat shaky feet, she made her way to the main house, passing silent White Lotus sentries and the staff, unable to meet their eyes with her own, less they see just how bloodshot they were.

She found Asami in the living room with Mako and Kuvira, the metalbender holding San in her arms as they did their best to comfort their friend. They all looked up in surprise to see Korra standing in the doorway, but she silenced their questions with one raised hand, then took a deep breath.

"Hello. My name is Korra, and I'm an alcoholic."

**To Be Continued...  
><strong>(_you may begin hating me now_)


	16. A Good Time For A Talk

_Korra has to suffer again this chapter, but in a _good_ way._

**A Good Time For A Talk**

"Spirits, I'm going to kill Mako when he gets back from Zaofu." Korra groaned, gripping the toilet bowl like a downing man clutching a lifebelt, "He'll die _slowly_ and _painfully_ for doing this to me."

"Well, you did _ask_ him to." Asami sat on the bathroom floor beside her wife, rubbing her shoulders, "And if you want to get technical, you kind of did this to _yourself_."

"Not helping." Korra lamented, "No; the rubbing my shoulders _was_ helping. It's the being all calm and logical and right and not letting me kill Mako that isn't helping."

Asami laughed, leaned forward and kissed her wife on the back of the neck. After Korra had sobered herself up and got her life back on track, they had agreed to give it one last shot at her having a baby before they started to look at other options. Destiny, fate, or some other power that was far beyond Asami's understanding seemed to have stepped in, because two weeks later, something hadn't happened. It didn't happen again four weeks after that, and they'd gone to see one of the White Lotus healers to conform what they didn't dare say out loud, less they somehow jinx it. The elderly doctor had examined Korra for half an hour, then nodded with a smile. Asami had leapt to her feet, screaming as loud as she could, then wrapped her arms around her wife's neck so tight the Avatar had trouble breather. For her part, Korra had simply wept tears of joy, unable to put into words the pure, unadulterated joy that filled every fibre of her being at that moment. Mako had been ecstatic when they told him, while Kuvira had been understandably more restrained, but happy for them none the less.

Indeed, _all_ their friends and family were happy for them, but there was an unmistakable edge to their joy that had not gone amiss by Korra.

Her dalliance with the demon drink hadn't been a secret for very long; simply too many people worked at or visited the Sato estate on a regular basis, which coupled with the ongoing interest in the relationship between the Avatar and the Heiress, both of them very public figurers, meant that there was always someone with a story to tell and someone with a envelope full of used 50-Yuan notes they were willing to pay to hear all about it. Thus her shame had been both public and private, forcing her to give a long and emotionally painful press conference where she openly admitted to her alcoholism. There had been questions, many of them aimed at finding a chink in her armour, but she remained resolute in her stance that her weakness was as a person, and that she was still fully capable of fulfilling her duties as the Avatar. One brave, or possibly foolish reporter had produced a bottle of vintage Omashu Brandy, the same liquor that had been her personal vice, and offered her a drink. She'd been about to react when the bottle suddenly smashed, all eyes turning round to where Lin stood, reeling in one of the metal cables built into her uniform. The scowl on her face was darker than usual, the scar on her right cheek throbbing a deep red, a sure sign to any that knew her that she was on the edge of losing her temper. Fortunately the crowd reacted by mocking the brandy-soaked reporter, defusing the situation and turning what could have been an nasty incident into a win for Korra, when she first waterbended from a nearby fountain to wash off the reporter, then airbended him dry.

This earned her a round of applause from the crowd, who cheered her as she left the stage with a wave.

Asami had been waiting in the wings, offering her silent support the entire time. She had taken to working from her home office, only going into the Future Industries headquarters when absolutely necessary. Officially, this was to help Korra through her pregnancy, but the Avatar had noticed that her wife was, for want of a better word, mothering her. And she understood it, she really did; Asami cared for her, and had seen her at her very lowest points, whether she wanted to or not. She had also seen just how badly Korra handled setbacks and failures, and seemed terrified that, if anything were to happen to the baby, she might lose her wife for good. Korra had been to see every expert and specialist the White Lotus had been able to find, and followed every piece of advice they gave her on everything from diet to exercise to what sort of music she should listen to. The Society was being especially paranoid after an incident with a Red Lotus sympathiser who made the mistake of trying to grab Senna and Yin. He was lucky that the Sentries had responded as quickly, as he had sorely undetermined Asami, who had started taking chi-blocking lessens from a retired member of the Kyoshi Warriors. It had been the work of moment for her to disable the would-be kidnapper, Naga arriving to see what all the commotion was, and almost savaging the terrified man before Asami brought her to heel. She had the Polar Bear Dog under her total control the entire time, but had been taunting him by keeping Naga on the very edge of eviscerating her paralysed prey. The Sentries quickly arrived and took the man into custody until the Metalbending Police could take him away, Naga growling at him the entire time with her razor-sharp teeth on full display. Korra was under no illusion that, had the man actually _hurt_ either of their daughters, Asami would have had no qualms about letting Naga lose to do the worst she could. And having seen what a wild, undomesticated Polar Bear Dog could do to someone who hadn't been chi-blocked, she knew well enough that there would have been little for the White Lotus to do but clean up the mess. Still, between the ever present shadow of her now official protective detail following her whenever she left the estate and a wife who almost never left her side, Korra was starting to feel somewhat claustrophobic.

There had been one new experience for Korra, aside from pregnancy, even if she was still unsure how to class it.

Senna and Yin were approaching the age when they would soon be starting school, and Asami was keen on them attending Yu Dao Elementary, the same school she had attended at their age. It was one of the most exclusive schools in the entire United Republic, with very high standards that were only matched by the fees it charged parents to send their children to be educated there. Money was no problem, but Korra and Asami had been called in to see the headmistress for an interview. This was all new to Korra; she had been educated by the White Lotus Society, something she could have easily arranged for her daughters, but Asami had insisted that they have as ordinary a childhood as possible. But what they had thought was a mere formality proved to be a virtual inquisition, the veteran educator unmoved by their positions as the Avatar and the head of Future Industries. Indeed, she had been more concerned with the impact the presence of the two girls would have on the rest of the school, given that they too would have their own protective detail, fully sanctioned by Lin and President Raiko. There was also the inevitable press interest in the girls now they would be leaving their parents side for extended periods of time. There was a fear, justifiably, that the press would attempt to gain access to the school to get close to the children in a bid to ask them questions about their parents. They were still too young to truly understand why so many strangers were interested in their home life, even if Korra and Asami had spent a lot of time explaining to them why they shouldn't talk to someone they didn't know, no matter how nice they seemed. There was also, inevitable, the issue of Korra and Asami's unconventional relationship and the polarizing effect it could have. While the headmistress herself seemed not to care one way or the other, she had made it clear that the parents of several of their students had threatened to take their children out of the school if they were exposed to what they saw as an immoral relationship. While the law was clear that the school couldn't refuse to accept Senna and Yin just because they were being raised by a same-sex couple, they could refuse them on the grounds of how their being there would affect the education and security of the other students. Korra had racked her brains looking for an answer, but Asami had read between the lines and simply asked how much. The headmistress had remained silent, and never taking her eyes off of the younger woman, slipped a leaflet explaining the schools plans to expand their sports facilities, should funding become available.

Asami had simply looked at the rather large number at the bottom, closed her eyes and nodded.

Fortunately, that rather expensive hurdle was gotten out of the way just before Korra's morning-sickens had started, and for some reason, she suffered far worse that Asami ever had. It hadn't started too bad at first; just a slightly upset stomach and a sensitivity to certain smells. But within days it had escalated to the point where she was finding it hard to keep down anything more than rice-cakes and tea. The White Lotus doctors had tried everything, consulted every expert and text on the subject, and even brought in waterbenders to see if their healing skills could provide any relief. But nothing had worked, forcing Korra to simply endure as best she could with Asami's support. And for once, Korra didn't object to her wife's fussing.

"You know, this might actually be a good time to talk about something I've been thinking about for a while." Korra slumped down next to the toilet, her face ashen grey, "I was going to bring it up a while ago, but things kind of got out of hand for a while there."

"I don't like the way this is going." Asami eyed her wife suspiciously, "What is it?"

"After this little bundle of joy is born," Korra rested a hand on the swollen lump that was her belly, "when I have to go do Avatar things... I don't want you going with me if it looks like it might be dangerous."

"What!?" Asami lurched backwards, "What are you talking about? I've always been there for you in the past?"

"And there is no one I would rather have watching my back. But we're parents now, 'sami, and we have to think about what would happen to the kids if the worst was to happen to _us_." Korra placed her other hand on the side of her wife's face, "As much as they might love being grandparents, my parents are getting a little old to be raising a family, your father is still in jail, the only other close family either of us has are Desna and Eska, and I don't see either of them as the paternal type. Mako and Kuvira have Sen and carers of their own, so dumping three extra kids on them would be kind of unfair. Opal and Bolin have an entire temple to run. I can't think of anyone else, asides maybe Tenzin and Pema I'd trust, and they have four kids of their own as it is."

"And I'm the one being all calm and logical and right?" Asami pouted, "You do realise that, if you weren't pregnant right now, I'd kick your arse."

"I have no doubt." Korra managed a weak smile, "Just don't expect me to get pregnant every time I have to tell you something I know you'll not want to hear."

"I'd kiss you, if I didn't know where your mouth has been." Asami covered her wife's hand with her own, "Look at the two of us; all grown up with responsibilities and everything. So much for Team Avatar..."

"You'll _always_ be a part of Team Avatar." Korra reassured her, "You are the centre of my wheel."

**To Be Continued...**


	17. Talking To Yourself II

**Talking To Yourself II**

"Okay, so it looks like you're going to have to sit through some more of these films." Korra looked at the camera, "A lot has happened since I made that first one. As you have no doubt already learned, I'm an alcoholic. I'm not here to make any excuses; if attending the AA meetings Bumi's friend put me onto have taught me anything, it's that I need to accept that I have a weakness. I don't like to drink, but I like the way it makes me feel, and I have to learn to live without that. I'm now almost nine months sober, although I've had some unexpected help in that regard." She stood, showing the large bump that was the child growing inside her, "I may be a lot of things, not all of them good, but I'm not the kind of person who'd poison their unborn child. Any time I feel like taking a drink, I think about this new life I'm responsible for, and that's all the motivation I need. But there's more to it than that, a lot more."

"When I was... coming to terms with my addiction, I shut myself away for the better part of a week. I didn't want anyone, especially Asami, to see what I was going through. I was... ashamed, afraid that she wouldn't love me if she saw me like that. And that was very foolish of me, because when you love someone like Asami and I love each other, there's almost _nothing_ the other could do that would stop you loving them, and she had seen me go through so much worse. But I was alone, feeling worse than I have ever felt in my life; worse even than when I lost my bending, or when I was stuck in that spirits-damn wheelchair. I didn't _want_ to die, but I certainly _expected_ to, and so I let down _all_ my defences, even those I keep up around my family. And at that lowest point, when I was sure that nothing else could possible hurt me any more than I had already been hurt, something happened that I still don't fully understand. Hell, you probably know more about it, sitting there watching this, then I do making it, but I had some kind of experience." Korra paused, trying to find the words to explain what had happened to her that night, "I think... I think I saw Avatar Kyoshi... I think she somehow came to me. I don't... I don't now how it could be possible; everything I know about what happened during Harmonic Convergence tells me that my connection to the past Avatars was completely severed. But I _saw_ her. I felt her place her hands upon me and do _something_, even if I'm still not sure _what_ exactly. All I _do_ know is that before that night, I couldn't get pregnant, but now here I am, seven months gone."

"I think about you a lot these days; I suddenly have a lot of spare time on my hands. I know you're going to be an earthbender, but nothing else. I have no way of knowing where you'll be born, if you're a man or a woman, your name, what kind of life you'll have before the White Lotus come and find you. But despite all that, I feel like know _you_, what kind of _person_ you'll be." Korra smiled, "You'll be brave, even if you don't realise it all the time. You'll be kind, but you'll also have the strength to turn your back on that kindness when needed. And you'll be strong, but you'll know that might does not make right. Because you're the Avatar, and we don't get chosen by accident. Still, there are questions I wish I could ask you; are you happy? Do your family and friends accept who you are? Are you finding out for yourself what it means to be the Avatar in the world I've left you? I have all these questions, and I can only hope the answer to them all is 'yes'. Yes, you are happy. Yes, your family and friends accept you as the Avatar. Yes, you have found your own balance. I hope... no, that's not the right world; I _know_ that we'll meet one day, you and I, somewhere between this world and the spirit world, and I'll be able to ask you those questions face-to-face. But if it's all the same to you, I hope that's not for a really long time to come. I want to see my children grow up, to meet the people they will become, to see the lives they'll make for themselves, and hold my grandchildren in my arms. I want a life that's more than just being the Avatar. I hope I get that, and I hope you do too."

Korra flicked off the camera and sat in silence for a moment, one hand resting on the kicking lump that was her child. Recording the messages for the next Avatar had become almost therapeutic, a way of unburdening herself. She wasn't sure if it was such a good idea; she could very well end up giving her successor a somewhat warped view of what life was like as the Avatar, but she hoped that, by the time she made her last recording, she'd have found something important and profound to say. The child growing inside her kicked again, this time hitting her bladder, and Korra was suddenly overcome with the need to visit the bathroom. Leaving the camera on her desk with the film still in it, she left her office in a hurry.

A pair of jade-green eyes watched her leave from the shadows, and a hand reached out to restart the camera.

"Hello, my name is Asami Sato, and I'm Korra's wife. She doesn't know that I know about these films, not yet at least, and I'm in no hurry to tell her. I'm not going to stop her making them, or edit them in any way; this is something she feels she has to do as Korra the Avatar, but I felt I should tell you a little something about Korra the Woman, whom I fell in love with. You've probably read about how we met; those crazy, crazy early years here in Republic City. About how we both fell in love with a man name Mako, the same man who is the father of our children. About how I, a non-bender, became part of the so-called 'Team Avatar', and the battles we fought, side by side. So I won't tell you about that. Instead I'll tell you about how I came to realise that I was in love with Korra, something everyone else could see, but not me."

"It was after our battle against the Red Lotus Society, which very nearly killed Korra. She was so helpless, unable to do the most basic thing for herself. But even back then, I cared for her deeply, so I took on the responsibility of helping her. We spent almost every waking hour together, and trust me when I say that if you ever do that with someone you think you know, you'll soon meet the real them. I saw Korra with all her defences down, simply because she didn't have the strength to keep them up. I saw her at her most vulnerable, and it touched me in a way I do not have the words for. Looking back, that's probably when the love I had for her as a close friend became romantic love, even if I didn't realise it at the time." Asami smiled faintly, "Not that anyone else seemed to have trouble realising the truth. It wasn't long before people started acting like Korra and I were a couple, although neither of us noticed it at first. I was the first to realise what they were thinking, but I was too deep in denial about my true feelings to see what they saw. And I kept it from Korra, partly out of shame, and I think, partly because I was worried that, if I told her, I'd have to confront my growing feelings for her. Before Korra, I'd only ever been attracted to men, and everything I knew about myself told me that I was strait. Hell, everything I knew about Korra told me she was strait, so even if I had been ready to accept the truth about my feelings, how could I have been honest with her? But time passed, and I found myself drawn closer and closer to Korra, until something happened, and I had no choice but to tell her what everyone was thinking about us. She laughed, and I think part of me was worried that she was rejecting the very idea, but now I think she was also worried about her own feelings. It became a game; our little way of having fun at everyone's expense."

"But the more time we spent pretending that we were that close, the more I found myself wanting to be close to her. We'd hold hands and hug to try and shock people, but I started to miss the touch of her hand in mine, the feel of her warmth against my body. I tried to tell myself that I was just getting caught up in the game, that I probably needed to get laid before I went stir-crazy over on Air Temple Island. But then Korra started spending more and more time alone, and I'll admit that a part of me was jealous that she had found something she could do without me. I shouldn't have been, in more ways than one." Asami's hand reached up to touch the betrothal necklace around her neck, fingers toying with the four hand-calved gems, "She was making me this. Because Korra, ever sure of herself, had realised that she loved me, had accepted those feelings, and decided to jump in with both feet. I thought it was still a part of our little game when I found it in my room, but Korra pulled me down onto her lap, sending butterfly's spinning around my stomach, and placed this around my neck. Then she kissed me, our first popper kiss. We'd kissed before; a quick peck on the check as friends, and a few simple kisses when we were winding people up about our 'relationship', but that kiss was different. It was the kiss you give to someone who you love totally and unconditionally, with every fibre of your being. It was that kiss that told me it was okay to accept my feelings for her, and that I wanted nothing more in the world than to spend the rest of my life with that mad, unpredictable woman who was holding me in her arms."

"Because I do love Korra more than I do life itself; I'd die for her, I'd kill for her, I'd give up everything I own and live in an icy cave in the middle of nowhere if she asked me to. Hopefully you'll understand what I mean one day, when you meet that special someone who's the other half of your soul. Because that's what Korra is; she's the part of me that was missing, and I'll never let her go." Asami looked at the camera intently, "And now you're her, whoever and wherever you are; part of the woman I love, the woman I plan to spend the eternity with, lives on in you. So know this; no matter what may happen in your life, what other people may say or do to you, know that I love you. Because I could never _not_ love even the smallest part of Korra. She is simply the most amazing and wonderful person in the world, and I am eternally grateful that I am hers, and she is mine."

Asami shut the camera off, and after quickly making sure that there was no sign that she had ever been in her wife's office, slipped out. The room was still for a moment, then Korra re-entered, sat down and turned the camera back on.

"So you've now met Asami. Yes, I know that she knows about these films. I never _intended_ to keep them a secret from her, and I'm not going to look back at what she said to you, because whatever it was, well, it was said for you and you alone." Korra chuckled, "I overheard her talking about how much she loves me at the end there, and I'll let you in on a little secret, something I've never told anyone, not even Asami. I have always loved her, from the moment I first laid eyes upon her, even through I thought I was in love with someone else at the time. I saw her, and I _knew_ that I had found something I didn't have the words for. It took me a long time to work out what that feeling was, but I'm glad I did, and I'm glad she feels the same way. So if you ever meet someone, and the entire universe just seems to fade away when you look into their eyes... grab hold of them and never let go. It may not be easy; the world may throw all kinds of obstacles in your path, but trust me; it'll be worth it in the end. Goodnight."

**To Be Continued...**


	18. Talking Through The Pain

_Okay, again with the feels.  
><em>_Also, maybe not one for the squeamish._

**Talking Through The Pain**

A storm rolled in over Republic City, in both the literal and metaphorical sense.

The actual clouds came rolling in off the Mo Ce Sea first, billowing thunder-heads filling the sky from horizon to horizon, the rumble of thunder echoed off the mountains and between the tallest buildings, clearing the streets in a way no curfew ever could. Only those with pressing business or no other choice went out in the torrential rain, sheet lightning turning night into day for the briefest of moments. The city, normally so vibrant and full of life, no matter the hour, took on a dark, sombre feel that seemed to permeate bricks and mortar to affect the people as well, somehow making the world seem smaller. The weather played merry hell with the atmospherics, limiting the range of reliable radio communications, so it was the ringing of a phone that caught everyone's attention. Korra was closest, and picked it up without a second thought; only a handful of people had the number of their direct, private line, and she wasn't expecting any bad news from any of them. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas. The line was filled with crackling static, and it took Korra a while to make out Kya's voice on the other end. The waterbender sounded highly agitated, and it took the Avatar a while to understand what she was saying, but when she did, all the colour drained from her face.

Katara was gravely ill, possibly dying, and the storm had knocked out the direct line to Air Temple Island, meaning that Kya had no way of alerting her younger brother and his family.

Shocked beyond words, Korra had been ready to run out in the storm herself, but Asami had bard the door, pointing out, very matter-of-factly, that her wife was nine months pregnant, the baby due any day. Korra had stood, dumbfounded, and looked down at her swollen abdomen as if she was seeing it for the first time, then burst into tears. Asami had comforted her as best she could, the sound of their daughter crying bring Tonraq and Senna running from the lounge where they had been playing with their granddaughters. Once it had been made clear to everyone that nothing was wrong with Korra or the baby, Tonraq offered to make the trip over to Air Temple Island to give Tenzin the bad news. His wife had looked worried, but he pointed out that he'd been at sea in far worse and come back home safe. Asami grabbed the keys to her roadster, insisting on driving him down to the docks herself, leaving Korra and Senna to watch their spouses disappear into the storm from the shelter of the hallway.

"Momma," Korra held her bump, a worried look on her face, "I think my water just broke."

One of the servants called down to the docks to leave word for Asami and Tonraq, then to the police station so a message could be gotten to Mako, while Senna helped he daughter to her bedroom, the storm having grown too severe to risk trying to make it to the hospital. Fortunately, that possibility at least had been planed for, and there were a White Lotus doctor and midwife on standby, who quickly took charge. Senna stayed at her daughters side, doing her best to keep her calm as the contractions started, the doctor commenting that it looked like it was going to be a quick delivery. Korra screamed with the pain of each contraction, her anguish almost drowned out by the raging storm.

Either the noise of the storm or the sound of Korra screaming set off her two daughters, who started crying themselves. Senna felt torn between going to calm them and staying with Korra, who was white as a sheet and already covered in sweat. Fortunately, there was a loud knock on the door, heralding the arrival of Mako and Kuvira, the metalbender taking charge of the children while her partner face up the stairs two at a time, bursting into the room looking like he'd been dragged through a hedge backwards.

"We got here as soon as we could." He explained, rooted to the spot at the sight of Korra in so much pain, knowing that he was at least in part responsible for it, "Where's Asami?"

"She had to drive Tonraq down to the docks." Senna explained as she pressed a damp cloth to her daughters brow, "Kya called; Katara's been taken ill, and the storm's knocked out the radio and phone lines to the island."

Mako unleashed a string of oaths and curses under his breath, totally at a loss as to what to do.

"Go boil some water and find some newspaper." Senna ordered him, and he vanished in a flash.

"I've never understood..." Korra panted through gritted teeth, "...why men are always told to go do that at times like this."

"The boiling water is so they can make everyone a nice cup of tea," The doctor explained from the other end of the bed, "the paper is so they have something to read while they wait for the kettle to boil."

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Korra admitted, then screamed so loudly the windows shook, and not from the storm.

"You're crowning." The midwife informed her, "Won't be long now."

"Where's Asami?" Korra asked, eyes darting about the room desperately, "I want Asami!"

"She'll be here just as soon as she can." Senna comforted her daughter with a kiss on the head, "You know she wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Then why isn't she _here_?" the Avatar begged, almost weeping, "Why did this have to happen now?"

"Because it's _your_ child." her mother couldn't help but laugh, "Spirits know, you were the most impatient of babies."

Korra simply screamed, partly in pain, and partly in anguish that her wife was not at her side. Somewhere deep inside, she understood why; Tenzin had to get word if he was to make it to the South Pole in time, and Asami was probably the best driver in Republic City, regardless of the weather. But that voice was at the very back of her mind, crowded out by the pain and the fear and the _**WHERE THE HELL WAS ASAMI?**_

"The head is out." The doctor announced, but there was an edge to his voice that wasn't lost on Senna, and glancing down, she could see the bloodstains running up the man's arms.

"Just a little more." The midwife encouraged the Avatar, "Another couple of big pushes and we'll be done."

A high pitch, whining scream echoed around the room as young lungs took their first deep breath and then used them to express their displeasure at being trust violently into the world. Senna smiled, happy that all seemed to be well with her latest grandchild, then realised that the blood had to be coming from somewhere.

"And we're clear." The doctor pulled the screaming newborn away, the midwife expertly cutting the umbilical cord and wrapping the child in a clean blanket.

"It's a boy." she held the child up, "Congratulations."

Korra murmured something, but her head dropping to one side, her eyes closed.

"Doctor!" Senna looked round in alarm.

"Damn; she's still bleeding." the medic hissed, reaching for a needle and thread, "I can't see where it's coming from."

The midwife handed the newborn to Senna, then set to work trying to clear as much of its mothers blood away as she could. For her part, it was all Senna could do to hold her grandson in her arms and try and comfort him, her eyes darting between the new life in her arms, and the one she herself had brought into the world, which lay before her, her breathing grown shallow and ragged.

"I couldn't find any newspaper." Mako appeared in the doorway, a large steaming jug in his hands, "But I boiled as much water as I..."

The doctor reached out with one hand, summoning most of the water forth from across the room, instinctively cooling it before washing it over his patient, clearing away the blood and making it possibly to see where the bleeding was coming from. Sending the crimson-tinted water to the basin on the night-stand, he worked quickly to close the tare before summoning a smaller amount of water to help heal the wound. A fain glow came from the water as the doctor channelled all his skill through it, helping the Avatar's body to repair itself, clearing away any sign of infection and soothing the pain she would have felt if she was awake.

"That... was closer than I'd like to admit." he sat back, drained physically and emotionally, sending the water to join the rest in the basin.

"How bad is it?" Senna asked, rocking her grandson carefully.

"In all honesty, it could have been a lot worse." The doctor admitted, leaning in to examine the wound carefully, "He was a little bigger than I was expecting, given he is her first. If she has any more children, I'd advise booking her into a hospital in advance, just in case."

Mako walk round the bed, keeping his eyes averted from the rather delicate view of his ex offered by her current state. He stood behind Senna, looking down at the baby in her arms: his icy blue eyes looking back, unfocused and not understanding what had so nearly happened. His skin was slightly darker than his father, but not quite the same shade as his mother, a clear indication of his mixed heritage.

"He has Korra's eyes." He remarks in a hushed tone.

"He has your nose." Senna smiled, "Do you know if he have a name?"

"I know Korra and Asami had picked one out, but they were keeping it to themselves." Mako shook his head, looking down at the woman on the bed, "How long will she be out?"

"Probably a few hours; maybe through the night." the doctor advised, pulling the blankets across his patient to offer her some privacy, "She's been through a lot, and needs rest. I wouldn't want to see her up an about for at least two days."

"Good luck with that." Senna commented, looking round as she heard the dull roar of a powerful motor through the rumble of the storm, "Asami?"

"I'll go see." Mako offered, kissing his new son on the head then quickly making his way back down stares to the entrance hall.

"Okay, now he's out of the way, just how bad is it really?" Senna locked eyes with the doctor, "And I want the truth this time."

"Your daughter lost a lot of blood, but not enough to be life-threatening, so long as she doesn't start bleeding again." the man admitted, having cleaned himself off, "I'll set up a drip to replace the fluids she lost, and we'll have someone keeping an eye on her for the next few days, but she should be okay, so long as she gets some rest."

"Have you met my daughter?" Senna asked as the sound of hurried footsteps coming up the stares echoed along the hallway, "Not a word of how bad it was to her wife; she has enough to deal with right now."

"Korra?" Asami burst through the doorway, rainwater dripping off of her coat, her hair plastered to her face. She took one look at her wife's still form, then was at her side in an instant, grabbing one of her hands and clasping it between her own.

"She just needs rest." Senna placed a reassuring hand upon the shoulder of the woman who was in every way possible as much a daughter to her as Korra, "You know just how draining childbirth can be."

"Mako said there was blood!" Asami looked around the room, eyes wide with fear.

"There was a little bit of bleeding, but the good doctor here took care of it." Her mother-in-law nodded towards the medic, who bowed his head, "You now how squeamish young men can be at times like this."

"I should have been here!" Asami knelt down on the floor beside the bed, her eyes locked on the woman sleeping in it, "I should have been here for her."

"You had no way of knowing that she was going to go into labour right then and there." Senna assured her, holding out the baby, "And look; you have son."

Asami slowly turned round, seeing the new addition to her family for the first time, and a torrent of fresh tears ran down her face as she took him and held him in her arms.

"We'd... we'd hoped for a boy this time." She whispered, captivated by the small life held against her heart, "We spent a lot of time talking about it, then wrote a letter to Katara, just to make sure it would be okay." She brushed a hand across the babies head, and he instinctively grabbed one of her fingers and held it as tightly as he could, "Welcome to the world, Aang Sato."

**To Be Continued...**


	19. It's Good To Talk

_Another mixed bag of a chapter, I'm afraid._

_And as for the fact that it seems Kuvira is going to be the villain of Book 4: she's voiced by Zelda Williams and saved Tonraq's life at the end of Book 3, so how the hell was I supposed to know that she'd end up go all "I Am The Mellon Lord!" on us?_

**It's Good To Talk**

Life with Korra was a compromise.

The Avatar had slept all through the night following the birth of her son, her body recovering the strength it had lost. True to their word, the White Lotus kept watch on her all through the night, making sure that she didn't start bleeding again. Asami insisted on staying in the room with her, and eventually feel asleep in her chair, legs curled up beneath her, her bathrobe wrapped around her like armour against the storm that continued to rage well past dawn. It was strange how full of life the house was the next day; aside from the normal family, staff and White Lotus sentries, there was the medical team, Senna and Tonraq, Mako and Kuvira with Sen, and Lin, who had arrived a little before dawn, the storm having kept Republic Cities criminal element mostly off the streets for the night. And while the hard-nosed chief of police would never admit it, she had warmed to the strange, miss-matched family that had adopted her as one of their own.

It was mid morning when Korra finally woke, feeling more than a little groggy, but insistent on seeing her son immediately. Asami had fetched him from the nursery and carefully set herself down on the bed next to her wife, handing him over but not letting go until she was sure Korra was strong enough to hold him.

"Hey, kiddo, you were hard work, you know that?" Korra asked the squirming bundle in her arms, "But spirits, were you worth it!"

"I guess with a name like his, he has a certain reputation to live up to." Asami lent over and kissed Korra on the top of her head, her arm dropping down around her shoulder to hold her close, "I'm just so sorry I wasn't here."

Cradling her son in the crook of one arm, Korra reached round for Asami's free hand, lifted it up and kissed the back of it.

"You weren't to know. Hell, I had no idea what was going to happen until it started." She assured the woman she loved with all her heart, "And can you imagine what would have happened if you hadn't stopped me? I would have gone into labour on the back of Naga, and then..."

"Lets not even think like that." Asami rested her chin on the crown of Korra's head as Aang woke and started to cry.

"Well, looks like someone's hungry." Korra sighed as she struggled to undo the buttons on the old shirt she was wearing, struggling at it with her one free hand.

Asami giggled at the sight, then reached down to help, remembering just how difficult she'd found it with their daughters.

"Just don't get any funny ideas." Korra warned as her son started to suckle, "The way I'm feeling, it's going to be a while before normal relations are restored, and I have no intention of starting something we can't finish properly."

"Maybe we'll finally take that second honeymoon to Ember Island you keep promising me?" Asami smiled coyly, "Or is that just a ploy you use to make me all submissive in bed? Like that time with the silk scarf and the strawberries and the..."

"Damn you, devil-woman!" Korra protested, feeling more than a little flustered at the _very_ pleasant memory of just how they had celebrated their forth wedding anniversary, "I told you not to start anything we can't finish!"

"Sorry." Asami sighed, "It's just that it's been a couple of months now since we last made love, and your boobs are right _there_..."

"And right now they are strictly off-limits to everyone but our son." Korra pointed out, tapping her wife on the nose, "You said exactly the same thing to me after the girls were born." She looked around, "Speaking of which, where are the little terrors?"

"If there's any justice in the world, they're sleeping." Asami lent back against the headboard, slightly frustrated but otherwise content with her life, "The storm kept them awake most of the night, so I sent them back to their room after breakfast."

"Damn, must have been a bad one." Korra looked out of the window; the sky was still over cast, but the rain had at least stopped, the wing having died down to little more than a stiff breeze. "I hope Tenzin got off okay."

"He had two dozen airbenders channelling a bubble of calm air around Oogi until they got up above the storm." Asami assured her, remembering the truly remarkable sight from the night before, "They should be almost there by now."

"'sami." Korra had a slightly distant look in her eyes, "What's the fastest airship you've ever built?"

Not realising what she was walking into, she had admitted that Future Industries had just finished testing a new prototype for the United Forces that was, over long distances, just as fast as a sky-bison. She was very proud of the project, having taken a keen interest in it from the get-go and making a couple of suggestions that had been taken up by the design team. The hope was that it would cement Future Industries position at the forefront of aeronautical engineering and innervation for years to come, allowing them to regain ground lost to Cabbage Corp when they had stolen the Earth Kingdom contract out from under them. There was already interest from both the Fire Nation and the Southern Water Tribe, which if they translated into real sales, might finally get the board off of Asami's back. She had gone on at length about aerodynamics, power-to-weight ratios, lift capabilities and the revolutionary new engines that Varrick had come up with that used magnets in the drive-shafts to reduce ware and improve efficiency, not realising that Korra wasn't paying her the slightest attention. Indeed, Korra was already planning her most audacious escape since they had run off to the Fire Nation together.

Later on, Asami had come to the conclusion that that had to have been the most heavily loaded question in the long, torrid history of loaded questions.

Once Korra had announced her plans to use said prototype airship to travel to the South Pole, Asami had been left conflicted: she loved Katara, the waterbending master having played an instrumental part in her life for years now, but there remained the fact that the doctors insisted that Korra needed bed rest. But of cause Korra had already thought of that, and pointed out that she'd be just as comfortable in bed in a cabin on an airship as she would in her own home, and the airship would be more than capable of carrying a full team of doctors. There'd also be room to carry their children and her parents, who'd need to head back as well. Asami had tried hard to find a loophole to get out of it, but Korra was proving to be a decidedly cunning strategist as she grew older, learning to temper her more implosive instincts. In a last desperate bid to foil the plan, Asami had pointed out that she couldn't just commandeer the airship without the permission of the Future Industries board of directors. She had felt sure that, after being reprimanded for her often reckless use of company property for private purposes, the board would flat out refuse to release the airship, and there was little that Korra would be able to do about it in her bedridden stated.

So of cause it went without saying that it was the one damn time the board actually _approved_ the loan of their newest and most expensive prototype to the Avatar. Asami had been shocked at their sudden and totally unexpected change of stance, then realised that Tonraq would be joining them, and he'd see first-hand just how amazing the new airship she had helped design was. And as Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, he'd be in a position to place an order for an entire fleet of airships for his nations growing military. For Asami, who had been extremely careful to never use her family connection for business felt more than a little ashamed that she'd walked right into an ambush without even realising it.

Korra had simply smiled, hugged her and wished her better luck next time.

Revenge was, however, a dish best served cold, and Korra had been none to pleased when Asami had brought out her old wheelchair from storage, insisting that, if they were going to make this journey, then Korra was going to rest whether she liked it or not. Being wheeled out the house to the waiting car had brought back unpleasant memories for the Avatar, but she secretly had to admit that she wasn't completely sure she would have made it on her own. With Korra holding Aang and their daughters in the back, Asami drove them out to the former Equalist airbase in the mountains outside the city, long since taken over by Future Industries as a testing ground for prototype aircraft of all types. The trip was made as part of a small convoy, Senna and Tonraq following with the doctors in a car behind them, with police and White Lotus escorts and outriders for and aft. Mako, Kuvira and San were waiting by the airship to say goodbye, the firebender obviously distraught that his newborn son would be leaving so soon, but well aware of the complex boundaries that were the foundation of their somewhat unusual family. Lin had also been waiting, a duffel bag at her side, the slightest hint of a hopeful expression on her face. Korra had taken one look at the Chief of Police and simply nodded; in many ways, Katara had been a second-mother to Lin, with Toph often working every hour she wasn't sleeping. It went without saying that she'd want a chance to say goodbye, if it really was time.

Their airship took off with a minimum of fanfare, escorted out of the city airspace by a pair of police patrol ships, then set out south-west across the Mo Ce Sea, the captain slowly building up to maximum power on the engines. Before long the city and the mountains that surrounded it had vanished below the horizon, the sky a clear blue with the storm having dissipated. It was a bit cramped on board for the first few hours; the ship was built for speed, not comfort, and there was only so much room to go round. As it was, Korra and Asami found themselves sharing bunk-beds, the protesting Avatar relegated to the bottom bunk by her wife, who didn't want to risk anything by letting her take the top like she had wanted. There was just enough room in the cabin for the small crib that held Aang, their daughters sharing a cabin with Tonraq, while his wife bunked down with Lin. It was far from perfect, and there had been more than one argument, but soon everything was stowed away and nerves started to calm.

The one amenity the ship did have was a small observation deck on top of the gas-bag: intended to house a lookout, it offered unmatched panoramic views. As soon as she discovered is existence, Korra had insisted on seeing it for herself, leading to what could polity be called a disagreement with her wife. It was on the verge of getting nasty when Lin had walked over and slapped both women around the back of the head and told them to stop upsetting their children. It was the shock more than the pain that stunned the two women, but it gave them a chance to calm down, Korra offering to see if she could ascend to the observation deck by way of airbending, promising to drop the subject if she failed. Asami agreed to at least let her try, but only if she went up first and secured a rope, the other end of which would be tied around Korra to catch her in case she fell. The precaution proved unnecessary, the Avatar closing off all the connecting doors before generating a vortex that effortlessly lifted her up to the top of the airship. Once there, they spread out a blanket, and sat back to watch the sunset.

"I miss the stars." Korra looked up at the myriad of twinkly lights that seemed to fill the wide open sky aver their head, "You can't really see them in the city."

"Too much light pollution." Asami mused as she pulled another blanket around them, holding her wife protectively in her arms, "I can remember the first time I _really_ saw them; my father took me on a business trip, and we stopped overnight in this small inn on the road to Harbor Town. I must have been maybe seven, it wasn't that long after my mother died, and I was having trouble sleeping, so I went to the window just to have something other than the same four walls to look out. It felt... it felt like the entire sky was alive with light."

"One winter when I was very young, back before I was moved to the White Lotus compound and was still living at home with my parents, there was the most amazing aurora." Korra smiled at the fond memory, "Colours I'd never seen before; reds and greens and purple and gold, all racing back and forth like waves crashing on the beach. I can remember by father holding up in his arms and telling me that there were the souls of long-dead warriors, battling to keep our world safe from evil spirits, and the only the noblest and bravest of our tribe would be selected to stand that eternal guard over the night."

"You guys have some pretty strange myths down south." Asami chuckled, "Anything else I should know about?"

"Well, there is the myth that a couple who make love under an aurora will have a son who will grow up to be a mighty warrior and leader of his people." Korra cringed, "Probably shouldn't mention that my mother once told me that _I_ was conceived under an aurora."

"That... would actually explain a lot about you." Asami hugged and kissed her wife, "That would explain a whole lot indeed."

"Shut up an enjoy the view." Korra swatted her arm playfully, "We have an hour at best before Aang wakes up and wants feeding."

Yes, life with Korra was a compromise, but Asami knew it was all worth it.

**To Be Continued...**


	20. Nothing Left To Talk About

_Yeah, a lot of you saw this one coming.  
><em>_It was going to be two chapters, but I condensed it down to one, because, well, maximum feels.  
><em>_On the up-side, we have some extra-special guest stars!_

**Nothing Left To Talk About**

They arrived at the White Lotus compound outside the capital of the South Pole in the late afternoon of the day after they left Republic City. Asami had spend hours coaxing every last bit of power she could out of the airships engines, pushing them far past their official limits and into unknown territory. She was tired, hungry and covered from head to toe in oil and soot, but felt a great seance of achievement, both in herself and her company. The captain had complained that she'd tuned his ship to the point where flying it was like tap-dancing on a razor over a tank of hungry leaped-seals, but he had always been a bit tightly wound in Asami's book, so she placated him with the promise of a rise and a promotion to senior test pilot.

Naga had bounded down the gangplank even before it was fully lowered, the polar-bear dog evidently overjoyed to be back in her native element for so long. Any other time, that would have made Korra laugh, and run down to join her in her frolicking in the snow. But Kya was waiting for them, a pained expressing on her face, heavy bags under her eyes. Lin disembarked first, talking to her old friend in hushed tones for a moment before embracing her. Korra slowly made her way down the ramp, followed by Asami, who was carrying Aang, then her parents and daughters.

"It's bad." Lin explained, her voice uncharacteristically soft, "The doctors don't expect her to make it through the nigh."

Korra looked at Kya, her eyes filled with sorrow she was unable to put into words. Katara and her family had welcomed the young Avatar into their hearts and their homes as if she was one of them, even if her very existence was a constant reminder of the loved one they had lost. Katara had been her friend, mentor and confidant during her long years being trained by the White Lotus Society, becoming almost a second mother to Korra. And now that part of her life was coming to an end, and it burned her to know that, for all the awesome power that was hers to command as the Avatar, there wasn't a single thing she could do to prevent it. As Katara herself had taught her, to everything there was a time; a beginning and an end, and it would be the highest hubris to think that anyone had the right to try and change that.

"She's been asking to see you." Kya's voice was at the point of breaking, but she was forcing herself to remain strong, "Ever since she heard you were on your way, she's been asking if you'd arrived."

Korra nodded, not trusting herself with words, and walked the short distance to Katara's quarters. Bumi was sat outside, a thick coat over his new Air Nation robes. It was clear that he'd been crying, something almost impossible to imagine from the normally jovial bear of a man, but Korra wouldn't begrudge him his grief; she would have been the same in his position, and as it was, she could feel the tears building up in her eyes. Stepping inside, she found Tenzin, Pema and their children standing around the Katara's bed, the family matriarch looking far older than she had when Korra had last seen her. It was painful to see her like that; she had always been so full of life, so vibrant, despite her age, that the shock struck Korra with near physical force.

"Hello, Korra." the old waterbending master wheezed, "It is good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Master Katara." Korra bowed her head in respect, placing her left fist against the palm of her right hand, "I... only with it was under better circumstances."

"It's my time; nothing anyone can do about that." Katara managed a weak smile, "And I'll finally see so many people I love again; Aang, Sokka, Suki, my parents, Pakku and Gran Gran."

"I..." Korra's voice faltered and her eyes fell.

"Life is what it is, and I've led a full one. I've been a healer and a warrior, a general and a peacemaker. I have travailed further and seen more wondrous things that I ever though possible. I married the love of my life and raised three children of whom I could not be prouder." Katara held out a hand to the Avatar, "And then there's you; I've gotten to watch you grow from the precocious in undisciplined little girl I first met into the woman I see before me now. I've seen you face adversity, triumph, defeat and disrepair and come through it all stronger. I've seen you find your true love and start a family of your own. Speaking of which... is he here?"

Korra looked round and nodded to Asami, who had been waiting in the doorway with their son in her arms. She handed him over to his mother, who knelt down beside her friends bed to allow her to look. The baby fidgeted, but remained silent as Katara looked at him with loving eyes.

"Hello little one. I give unto your care the world my friends and I created for you." Katara carefully placed a hand on the babies head, "I do this knowing that you will be up to the task of maintaining it, until it is time for you to pass it onto those who will follow you."

* * *

><p>Asami sat starting into the low fire in the middle of the room; she had put the children to bed hours ago, having left Korra with Katara and her family. In truth, she was glad of the excuse to get away, the whole thing having brought up painful memories of her own mother death. She realised that she had never fully processed her feelings over what had happened, but rather had locked them away deep inside her heart. But it wasn't the time to unlock that door; Korra would need her to be strong, to be there for her. And the last thing she wanted to do was fail her wife, having seen the consequences of that.<p>

Still, right there and then there was only the fire for company, and she found herself drifting off to sleep.

The sound of the door opening awoke her some time later, the fire having almost completely died down. Looking round, she saw Korra standing in the doorway, tears streaming down from bloodshot eyes. She didn't have to ask; all she had to do was open her arms and her wife was in them in a heartbeat, her face buried in her neck as she wept openly and freely. Asami just held her, rubbing her back with one had to try and sooth some of the pain as her own tears started. Korra cried until she had no more tears left, then simply huddled at Asami's side, her wife pulling a blanket up around them as she held the Avatar. No words passed between them, for no words were needed. They both fully understood each-other's feelings, and all they needed was for the other to be there for them.

* * *

><p>All attempts to keep the funeral small and intimate failed; Katara had been a legend in her own lifetime, a hero of the Hundred Years War, wife of an Avatar, a world renowned and respected waterbending master and highly skilled healer. Friends and acquaintances descended upon the South Pole from around the world, as well as those who wanted to make a show of being there for their own reasons. Korra found herself bighting her tongue more than once to avoid starting an incident, not wanting to make it any harder on her mentors family than it already was. There had been quite the fuss made when Toph arrived unannounced, complaining about how difficult it was for her to 'see' when walking over snow and ice. Some saw it as a sign of disrespect, but those who knew her, and of her close, life-long friendship with Katara knew that it was her way of coping.<p>

"What. The. _**Hell?!**_" Korra hissed suddenly, her nostrils flaring and her fists clenched, and Asami followed her eye-line to see the arrival of Lord Zuko and a large group from the Fire Nation. At first she didn't understand what had her wife so agitated, then she recognised the slender, white-haired woman with the golden eyes that were indicative of the Fire Nation royal family.

"Azula..." She whispered, a deep sense of dread rise up inside her; all her life she had heard stories of the Mad Princess, the brutal conqueror of Ba Sing Se, who had killed Avatar Aang, all be it temporarily. Her mood swings and temper were the stuff of legend, as was the Agni Kai she fought against her brother that had all but destroyed the Royal Palace. Everything she knew about the woman told her that there was no good reason for her to be there, and her mind was filled with images of how Korra would react if the princess started to gloat.

She looked around the room, trying to work out where everyone else was; Tenzin, Kya and Bumi were standing together at the far end, talking to a long-line of well-wishers, and it didn't look like they'd seen the new arrivals just yet, but it was only a matter of time. Toph was standing with Lin, but it was clear from her stance and the way her head was cocked slightly to one side that she knew exactly who had just walked in, which was good, as it meant that the two of them would be ready should anything happen. Korra's parents were with Pema and the children in one corner, thankfully out of the direct line of fire... Asami kicked herself for even _thinking_ that word, but it was none the less true. The ebb and flow of the gathering had created an open path between the door and where the couple were standing, and there was an unmistakable look of recognition on Azula's face when she saw them, and with a smile that wouldn't have looked out of place on a sandshark, she started to stride purposely and confidently towards them.

Asami took Korra's hand, forcing the fingers apart to try and ground her wife's obvious anger.

"So, you're the new Avatar?" Age hadn't robbed Azula's voice of its almost musical quality, but much to Asami's surprise, while there was a hint of amusement there, there was no sign of malice, "I have to say, you're an improvement on the last one."

"I..." Korra blinked, "Avatar Aang was a great man and..."

"Yes, yes yes, I've heard it all before." Azula interrupted with a wave of her hand, "Trust me; I faced him in battle. I know exactly what kind of man he was. He was a god in the body of a boy. But you?" She looked Korra up and down appreciatively, "Well, whatever power is responsible for picking the next host chose well this time."

Korra stood with her mouth hanging open, dumbfounded.

"I know, I know; everyone expects me to be all ranting and raving and frothing at the mouth." Azula rolled her eyes, "Reputations, huh? Once you get one for being a violent psychopath with a healthy dose of pyromania thrown in for good measure, it's _impossible_ to ditch it."

"You'll have to forgive my wife," A graceful woman in a dark red dress appeared as Azula's side and took her arm, "her sense of humour is still very much a work in progress."

"Lady Ty Lee." Asami bowed her head, "I've been reading your books on Chi Blocking; they have been most helpful and insightful."

"I'm impressed; only the most ardent of students seek them out." Azula smiled slyly, "Most look for the cheaper manuals written by that fool who couldn't make it as a Kyoshi Warrior."

"'zula, dear: manors." Ty Lee petted her wife on the arm.

"What?" The princess looked confused, "Katara as much as said the same herself."

"I... why are you _here_?" Korra managed to ask.

"To pay my respects. I know it is common knowledge that Katara and I had our... differences, but that was a long time ago." Azula locked eyes with the Avatar, "Things were different back then; _I_ was different back then. But I can honestly say that I bid her no ill-will since my... return. In fact, I had a great deal of respect for her, if for no other reason than the fact that she was one of the few people to ever defeat me in battle. Trust me when I say I can count the number of people who did that on the fingers of one hand. But more than that, she helped show me that, just because you have great power, you don't have to obtain great power."

"They had a somewhat complex relationship." Ty Lee explained with a sweet smile.

"Don't we all." Toph appeared, "Hello Azula, Ty Lee."

"Toph." the Princess replied dryly, while her wife enveloped the metalbending master in a hug, much to her annoyance.

"Still trying to learn how to make friends and influence people, I see." Toph smiled sarcastically.

"That's funny," Azula dead-panned, "I didn't think you could _see_ anything?"

"Okay, I'll give you that one, hot-head." Toph's smile warmed slightly, "Trying to freak out our new Avatar? Good luck; she's a far tougher nut to crack then Twinkletoes ever was."

"You're... playing some kind of _game_ with me?" Korra blinked, looking at the three older woman.

"When you get to our age, you'll find you need to get your jollies where you can." Toph slapped her on the back, "Oh, and by the way; incoming."

Korra didn't even have time to react before she felt something grab her around the left leg, the force of the impact almost knocking her off balance. She looked down to see Yin wrapping her arms around her, something she had a tendency to do when nervous or around strangers.

"Our illustrious Avatar, almost taken down by an infant." Azula chuckled, "And here I was thinking _Toph_ was the blind one."

"_Zing!_" Toph held up a finger, "Score one for the Fire Princess."

"What's wrong?" Korra looked down at her daughter, ignoring the verbal barbs aimed at her.

Yin simply looked up at the three strangers and burred her head in the fabric of the Avatar's dress.

"There's no need to be afraid of us, little one." Ty Lee knelt down, a warm smile on her face, "You're Yin, right? I think I remember hearing that you're a firebender. This lady with me is also a firebender." She gestured to her wife, "Would you like to show her what you can do?"

Shyly, the little girl held out one hand, palm open, and a small flame appeared in it. She concentrated, and it moped into the shape of a ballerina, slowly spinning round on one leg.

"Oh my..." Azula's eyes went wide with genuine surprise, "Fire sculpting is a _very_ rare skill; I've only ever seen it a handful of times in my entire life." She looked at Asami, "Your family is from the Fire Nation?"

"Originally, yes. They were among the first to move to the colonies, back during the war." the engineer nodded, "Her father's mother was from the Fire Nation too."

"Ah, yes; the firebending detective. I remember reading about him in the papers." Azula nodded thoughtfully, "Well, where ever she gets it from, she has a gift, one you should encourage. I'll arrange to have some books sent to you."

"Thank you." Asami blinked, surprised at just how _kind_ the notorious war criminal was being.

A young woman about the same age as Asami, with the same golden eyes as Azula appeared and whispered something into the princesses ear. Her voice was too low for Asami or Korra to hear, but it was clear by the look on her face that Toph could make out every world.

"When?" The earthbender snapped.

"A few hours ago." The newcomer sounded urgent, "We only just got word."

"What's going on?" Korra asked with a growing sense of dread.

"It's the Southern Air Temple." Toph's voice betrayed the anger and fear building up inside her, "They're under attack by raiders."

**To Be Continued...  
><strong>(_yeah, I love cliffhangers_)


	21. Talking, Not Doing

_I recently had am unsigned, anonymous review that complained about Mako being the father, and said I should go back and edit the story to change it.  
>They even suggested Korra using some funky Avatar power or visit the Spirit World to find fertility spirit so she could be the father.<br>__Well, that's been done more than once; I even hung a lampshade on it back in Chapter 7, and I felt like taking a different direction.  
><em>_If you want to read a good Korra is the 'father' of Asami's child/they adopt stories, I'm sure you can find them if you just look.  
>There are even some on my Favourite Stories list.<em>

**Talking, Not Doing**

Asami sat, fuming.

Once word had gotten around about the ongoing attack on the Southern Air Temple, it hadn't taken long to assemble what could only be described as a small army to rush to its aid. Tenzin had been in charge, channelling the grief he felt over the death of his mother into anger over an attack on his nation. It went without saying that Bumi and Kya were with him, as were Jinora and Kai. Toph and Lin had stepped forward, making it very clear that they were going to express some extrema displeasure at anyone who thought they could threaten their _family_ and get away with it. Tonraq, Zuko and Iroh had stepped forward to offer their support, and much to everyone's surprise, Azula had followed them, stating that she looked forward to a chance to 'really let rip after so long'. There had been a few worried looks, but no one could deny her power and skill as a master firebender, even at her age. No one had been surprised when Korra had stepped forward, even if Asami had expressed some concern given the fact that she had given birth just a week earlier. But the Avatar was ardent that she was going, insisting that she was more than up to the task of scaring off some opportunistic bandits who'd most likely run at the first sign of reinforcements. Asami had agreed, but had been shocked when Korra told her that she was to stay behind. For a few seconds it looked like there was going to be an Incident, but Korra calmly pointed out that Asami had agreed that one of them had to stay out of danger as much as they could for the sake of their children.

Asami had glared at her wife, but reluctantly agreed with her, and could do little but watch as they rescue party departed on Oogi, Lefty and Druk, the three creatures far faster than even the prototype airship Asami and Korra had brought from Republic City over a relatively short distance. Tonraq sent word for troops from the nearest Southern Water Tribe outpost to the besieged Air Temple to make their best speed to the battle, Fire Lord Ursa likewise sending order to one of the Fire Nation islands. But even with the fastest airships in either fleet, they would not reach the Air Temple before the party from the South Pole. Asami had stood, looking into the sky long after they had vanished from sight, until finally Senna had come and brought her in, less she catch a cold.

"It's never easy, seeing those you love go off to battle." Her mother-in-law sat next to her, "I have to keep reminding myself that they're more than capable of looking after themselves."

"I guess it's something I'm going to have to get use to; I understand why, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Asami grumbled, "Before, when Korra was off implementing the Peace Treaty in the Earth Kingdom, I'd not long had the girls, so it was easy for me to accept that I couldn't be there with her. But now Korra's the one who's just had a kid, and I'm still the one left holding the baby. Well..." She looked over to the crib where Aang was sleeping, Ty Lee rocking him gently, "figuratively speaking, anyway."

"Spirits know _I'd_ feel better if you were out there, watching her back." Senna admitted, "But then I'd only be worried about losing _both_ of you."

"I don't think it's easy on them, either." Ty Lee added, not taking her eyes off of the sleeping baby, "When Azula and I first got together officially, I was still serving in the Kyoshi Warriors, and there were times when I'd have to go off on an assignment and leave her home. She's... not as strong as she likes to pretend; she has a genuine fear of being left alone by those she loves. I think that's why she was so intent on us having Azulon. I think to her, a baby would be someone who would _never_ leave her."

There was a moment of silence as Asami and Senna looked at the other woman; Korra had told them what General Iroh had said about his family and the mystery surrounding his cousins birth. It was clear by looking at Azulon that he was related to the Royal Family, given his golden eyes that were a strong family trait almost unheard of elsewhere. But that still left the Elephant Rhino in the room when it came to the fact that he had supposedly been 'fathered' by Azula, while the fact that he had been carried by Ty Lee was a matter of public record. For a while, Asami had assumed that Ty Lee had had an affair, but then realised that it was unlikely anyone in their right mind would risk invoking Azula's anger by sleeping with her wife, regardless of how beautiful she was. She had considered the possibility that Ty Lee had been taken advantage of and covered it up out of shame, but reading the books she had written and training with a former Kyoshi Warrior made it clear that there were very few people who'd be able to make someone as skilled in hand-to-hand combat as Ty Lee do _anything_ she didn't want to. That left Asami somewhat stumped, unable to work out just how two women could produce a baby without going through something similar to how she and Korra had gotten pregnant.

There were no doubt stories and gossip in the Fire Nation to explain it, but Asami felt sure that a lot of that would come from people who didn't really know Azula and Ty Lee as a couple. It was clear to her, simply from the little she had seen of them together, that their love for each other was as strong as her love for Korra, and that people underestimated Ty Lee's intelligence. Even in the history books Asami had read at school, the former circus acrobat had been portrayed as... simple; an air-head who had been easily lead astray by the far more dominant Azula. But having actually spoken to her face-to-face, it was clear to Asami that there was a very sharp mind behind those light-brown eyes. People often mistook a simple, somewhat carefree outlook on life as a sign of limited intelligence, but Asami had known Bolin long enough to know that that wasn't the case all the time. Her earthbending friend was surprisingly intelligent and an amazing administrator, who just happened to be somewhat socially inept and kind-hearted. But people often took that kind-heartedness as a sign of weakness, never realising just how formidable Bolin could be when he decided to stand his ground.

"I'm surprised you didn't go with them." Asami decided it was time to break the silence, "I'm sure you could handle a few bandits."

"A few years after Azulon was born, Zuko appointed her governor of one of the outlying provinces. The area had been a constant source of trouble for years, with rampant corruption and mismanagement." Ty Lee continued to rock the crib, not taking her eyes off of its occupant, "Despite what you might think of her, Azula has never been anything but completely devoted to the Fire Nation and its people, and she actually relished the chance to get out from the capital and make our land better. Well, some of the local bandits got word of our impending arrival and decided that they'd send a message, loud and clear, as to who was in charge. We were travailing by coach; the strong winds around the local mountains making travel by air somewhat hazardous, and they ambushed our caravan as we passed through a forested valley. I don't think they really understood just who they were dealing with; Suki had sent some of the Kyoshi Warriors to escort us as a thank you for my years of service, and well, Azula is Azula."

"I had trained the Warriors well, and they took out most of the bandits in short order, but their leader was a former Captain in the Fire Nation Army, and a powerful firebender in his own right. He... tried to get to Azulon, probably thinking that we'd surrender. But to get to him, he would have to go through _me_." A dark shadow seemed to come over the woman's face as her eyes turned downcast, "I would not move, even as the bandit sent a wall of flame strait at me. I thought I was going to die, but I was willing to do that to protect my son. So I closed my eyes and waited for the flame to strike me. Only it didn't; Azula threw herself between us, blocking his attack with one of her own. The heat was... like nothing I'd ever felt before. I could feel it washing over my like a wave, singeing my hair and cloths. But Azula stood her ground, defeated the bandit and we marched into the provincial capital with him as our prisoner."

"I realised that day that Azula would do anything to protect me, even if it meant placing herself in danger." Ty Lee turned to look Asami in the eye, "So yes; I wanted nothing more than to go and fight at my wife's side, to protect her, just as you would yours. But like you, I realise that sometimes, the only way to protect the ones we love is to give them one less thing to distract them when they need it least."

**To Be Continued...  
><strong>(_the next chapter will cover events at the Southern Air Temple_)


	22. Doing, Not Talking

_I've been asked about Mai, and after much consideration... I remain undecided as to her fate.  
><em>_If you chose to believe that she has passed on, feel free. If you chose to believe that she was at the funeral but was lost in the background of Azula turning up, or didn't go because she simple doesn't do funerals, then that's up to you the reader.  
><em>_I might clarify her status later on, depending how the story develops._

**Doing, Not Talking**

Korra realised that they'd walked into a trap about five seconds before it was sprung.

The 'raiders' were surprisingly well armed; they had a motley collection of older model Tundra Tanks that looked like they'd seen action during the Hundred Year War, a couple of early Mecha Tanks that still had the Equalist insignia painted on their armour, all be it faded by time, and what appeared to be a former Equalist airship. Along with the infantry, bender and non-bender alike, they seemed to have enough equipment to start their own city-state, so the Avatar couldn't help but wonder just why they were going out of their way to take the Air Temple intact, when they would have been more than capable of levelling the entire structure. Not that she minded that they were taking it somewhat easy; she had friends, people she considered family, inside, and she very much wanted to see them safe and unharmed. It was clear that the temples defence still held, and if the mote of lave protecting it was any indication, Bolin was still very much in the fight. Korra was grateful for his presence, even if it did mean that his wife and infant daughter were in danger; given its close proximity to both the Fire Nation and the Southern Water Tribe, the Southern Air Temple had a far smaller defensive garrison, having been considered relatively safe from attack. Only a handful of the newly discovered airbenders living there had been trained to fight, while the Air Acolytes who managed the day-to-day running of the temple were by nature pacifist.

Azula had been the first to strike; crippling an engine on the airship with a long-range lightning bolt before Tenzin had a chance to even try and find a peaceful end to the attack. The raiders seemed caught between the mountain the temple was perched atop and the relief force, but it was then that their own reinforcements appeared from the clouds above, the time equipped with more modern airships and even a number of Biplanes. A vicious battle soon enveloped the skies as Tenzin, Kai and Zuko directed Oogi, Lefty and Druk to try and head-off the newcomers. That left the others to try and deal with the forces already on the ground. Toph and Lin went after the Tundra Tanks, ripping them apart with their metalbending, while Tonraq and Kya used their waterbending to ice up the mechanisms of the Mecha Tanks, entombing them in ice. That left Korra, Bumi, Jinora, Iroh and Azula to tackle the infantry, and it soon descended into a general mêlée.

Korra spun-kicked a fireball at one group of raiders to keep their heads, then erected a wall of solid rock to surround them. Unfortunately, one of their number was evidently an earthbender, and they quickly brought it crashing back own again. Switching tactics, the Avatar used a powerful gust of wind to send them flying across the tundra, and they landed in a tangled heap, at least temporarily out of the fight. Getting a closer look, she noticed that their clothing bore the mark of the Red Lotus, and she felt her blood run cold as she was bombarded my memories of her near death at their hands. She knew that Zaheer was helpless in prison, one of her first acts upon regain her powers being taking his airbending away so that he'd never hurt anyone with it ever again, but that didn't stop the icy hand of fear clutch her heart with near physical force, almost knocking her to her knees.

"Think fast, Avatar!" Azula warned, a wave of electric-blue flame rolling behind Korra like a wall, saving her from a hail of razor-sharp rocks aimed at her by a Red Lotus earthbender.

Korra didn't aim to kill; it wasn't in her nature to deliberately take another's life if there was any other way, but part of her noted that some of the raiders she put down looked like they'd never be getting up again. The thought sickened her, but she steeled herself by remembering that she had a wife and three young children, including her newborn son, who were expecting her to come back to them safe. Her resolve steadied, she pushed herself to fight harder, neither giving nor expecting any quarter. She could hear Azula laughing behind her, age having had no apparent affect on her almost legendary prowess as a firebending prodigy; it was as if the fire was an extension of her will, as much a part of her as her hands. A voice somewhere deep inside Korra tells her that Azula is as much a threat as the Red Lotus, but actions speak louder than words: the princess stood back-to-back with the Avatar, the two of them fighting almost as one as they were charged by countless assailants.

"Is it me," Toph asks as she opened a gaping hole that swallows up the last of the Tundra Tanks and one very unlucky Mecha Tank, "or was this actually _harder_ when we were younger?"

"It's almost _embarrassing_ what passes for an evil warlord with dreams of global conquest these days!" Azula replied with a wicked grin, "None of them have the showmanship, the style, the _panache_ we had back in my day."

"Are you two _completely_ insane?" Korra asked, yelling to be heard over the sound of battle.

"It seems that they don't make Avatar's like they use too, either." Toph laughed it off, "You've got to learn to relax a little, kid, otherwise you'll end up with an ulcer." She stamped her right food down hard, and a column of rock shot up and sent one of the raiders flying through the air, where he was struck by a blast of air from Bumi, "Learn to find the funny side; to laugh while the world is going to hell around you. You'll live longer."

The Red Lotus raiders regrouped and redoubled their efforts, their attacks clearly aimed at separating Korra from the others.

"I can't help but feel that they aren't paying us the _respect_ we deserve." Azula observed, a noticeable hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Bloody kids these days!" Toph used her eathbending to send a bolder the size of a small house into the last Mecha Tanks, knocking them down like nine-pins, "What do you say we step it up a notch; leave them something to remember us by?"

"My dear Toph, I thought you'd _never_ ask." the Fire Princes grined as she started to move her hands through an intricate patten, tiny sparks of electricity arcing between her fingertips, "Let show these _whippersnappers_ how we did it back in our day!"

"_**I AM THE MELLON LORD!**_" Toph actually _cackled_ as she summoned rocks about herself, creating a suit of armour that allowed her to wade into the thickest of the fighting. She soon had a Red Lotus raider in a headlock under each arm, while a rock-encrusted foot to the groin gave a third something to think about for a _very_ long time to come. "_**FEAR MY MELLONY WRATH!**_"

Azula simply laughed as she unleashes a bolt of lightning that blows strait though one of the circling airships. Secondary explosions erupt throughout the envelope, and debris falls from the sky as the stricken ship rapidly loses hight, its captain trying to turn a crash into an emergency landing. He manages to get it down, only for the flames to reach the rest of the gas bags, and the entire ship explodes like a miniature sun, the boiling flames enveloping one of the biplanes. Korra looks around; even with the losses they've taken against the far more powerful and experienced benders fighting at her side, the Red Lotus are holding their own. And it's clear that, for all their talk, the older members of her side are starting to flag; their spits willing, but their bodies weak. It was only a matter of time before the tide of battle turned against them, and Korra knew there was little option but to enter the Avatar State.

The only thing was, she hadn't done that in almost seven years; not since her battle with Zaheer.

At first it was because she hadn't be able to, the affects of the poison used on her temporarily robbing her of the ability to access that part of her powers. But after she had regained control of her body and the elements, she'd felt somewhat afraid. She could remember well the raw power that had flowed through her during that fight, the sheer destruction she had wrote. But she also remembered how totally out of control she had felt. There were two forms of the Avatar State; the conscious state, where the Avatar was in control, and the subconscious state that served as a defence mechanism, allowing even an untrained Avatar access to their full powers. But while it was impressive, it was as uncontrollable and indiscriminate as a hurricane, and Korra was worried about hurting the others if she lost control. But circumstances demanded that she at least try, so she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened the door she had kept locked for so long...

* * *

><p>Asami surveyed the battlefield from the window of the airship; it was strewn with twisted metal and scorched earth, a few small fires still burning. The radio message that had summoned her had been short on details but long on urgency. All she knew was that the raiders had been defeated, everyone was safe, and she needed to get there as soon as she could. Trying to get more information out of Tenzin had been like pulling teeth. Even Pema had been unable to get him to say any more; he just insisted that Asami got to the Southern Air Temple as fast as she could. Looking out now, she could see where Fire Nation and Water tribe troops were securing the area, guarding prisoners and trying to clear as much of the debris as possible. While she was still too high up to recognise individuals, she could see a pair of Sky Bison beside a grounded airship bearing the insignia of the White Lotus Society.<p>

The engines of her on ships changed pitch, an indication that they were coming in to land themselves, and Asami quickly made her way to them embarkation ramp. She didn't even wait for it to be fully lowered, and simply jumped the last few feet to the ground, landing not far from Tenzin, who had a troubled look on his face.

"Where is Korra?" Asami demanded, eyes already scanning the faces on the people around her for clues.

"She's... nearby." it was clear from the tone of his voice that Tenzin was keeping something from her; he was by his very nature a terrible liar, "She's okay... we think."

"You _think_?" Asami snapped, feeling an odd mix of rage and fear, "What do you mean, you _think_ she's okay?"

"It's... complicated." Tenzin stepped aside, beckoning her to follow, "It's probably easier if I just show you."

Walking briskly, they rounded the White Lotus airship, and Asami stopped dead in her tracks: Korra was floating in the air, sat in the lotus position as if she was deep in meditation. But the glowing eyes, the ball of swirling air and the twisting ribbons of rock, water and fire that surrounded her made it clear that she was deep within the Avatar State, even if she was doing nothing but sitting there.

Six feet off the ground.

"She entered the Avatar State to end the battle, but she still hasn't exited it." Tenzin looked and sounded genuinely worried, "I can remember my parents telling me of a couple of times dad entered the Avatar State, and only mom was able to bring him out of it." He looked at Asami with desperate hope in his eyes. "We were hoping that you might be able to do... something."

"I could always shoot her with lighting." Azula suggested from where she was standing off to one side, "It worked with Aang."

All eyes turned on her, the ambient temperature seeming to drop by several degrees.

"What? Too soon?" the princess asked, seemingly surprised by their reactions, "It was 80 years ago, people; learn to let go."

Toph reached up and slapped her former enemy turned long-time friend around the back of the head, earning her a glare hat should have by all right transformed her into a pillar of blue flame.

"About sixty years ago you told me I could do that exactly _once_, for free." Toph smiled sweetly, "I've been saving it for a special occasion."

"Damn you and your excellent memory!" Azula snarled, but there was a hint of amusement that took the edge off of her tone of voice.

"Well, okay then." Asami took a deep breath and stepped forward, "Let's do this."

Much to her surprise, the rings of rock, water and fire stopped spinning as she approached her wife, an opening appearing in the sphere of air so she could walk right up to the Avatar. Up close, she could see a faint smile on Korra's face, the kind she had when she was having a pleasant dream. Reaching up, she tentatively placed a hand on her wife's knee.

"Korra, honey," her mouth felt suddenly dry, "are you okay?"

The Avatar blinked, the glowing light in her eyes fading. The wall of air and the ring of fire vanished, the rock and water falling to the ground as she almost seemed to step back down to the ground.

"Asami?" She looked at her wife, an odd look of calm surprise on her face, "When did you get here? I though you were staying behind with the children?"

"Korra, the battle ended _hours_ ago." Asami reached out and took her wife's hand, "Tenzin called me because you seemed to be stuck in the Avatar State."

"Sorry, I kind of lost track of time." There was an absent-minded feel to Korra's voice, almost as if she was distracted, "I was... talking. To the others."

"Who?" Tenzin risked stepping forward, concerned for his friend and student, "Who were you talking to?"

"Avatar Kyoshi and Avatar Roku." Korra looked at him and her face lit up with a wide smile, "Your father was there too. He asked me to tell you not to worry, that Katara's with him now, and that she's happy."

**To Be Continued...  
><strong>(_yep, me and my cliffhangers_)


	23. Talking About The Past

_We start with a long, somewhat rambling explanation of_ my _justification for Korra being able to connect to the past Avatars again. It'll probably be disproved in later canon, so feel free to ignore it and insert your own ideas if you so wish.  
><em>_After that, I have a little fun at the expense of the characters, something I've been planning for a while, and it fills out the second half of the chapter.  
><em>_There will be feels._

**Talking About The Past**

"Okay, so I'm still trying to get my head around this myself." Korra sat in Opal and Bolin's living quarters in the Southern Air Temple, which had thankfully gone undamaged during the battle, with Asami, Tenzin, Opal and Bolin sitting around her, "I think the link to my past lives is coming back, but not all at once. Right now, I can only connect to the past three Avatar's, and only in the Avatar State. Well, except one time..."

She looked around the room; it was clear from the look on everyone's faces that she had their complete and undivided attention.

"When I was trying to get over my drinking, and I locked myself away for a week, I had some kind of... experience, something I've been trying to make sense of ever since." She took a deep breath, "Avatar Kyoshi appeared, but it wasn't like a vision or a memory. She was there; I could feel her touching me, doing _something_ to me that helped clear my head, helped get me over the depression I was feeling that had started me drinking in the first place. But she did something else, something to my body, that allowed me to fall pregnant. At the time I thought it was just some hallucination brought on by lack of food, sleep, and the lingering effects of the alcohol in my system. But the more I've thought about it, and in the wake of what happened today, I've come to realise that it really was Kyoshi, reaching out to me."

"I don't think we fully understand the _true_ nature of the Avatar Spirit. I think its more than just a connection to Raava; there's something else, something I think comes from the human side." Korra searched for the words to put the idea in her head into words, "When Unalaq and Vaatu tore Raava from me, I didn't die, which I should have done if she's all there is to being the Avatar. I think she's a _part_ of my soul, a very important part, but I also think that there's a part that's just _me;_ Korra, the daughter of Tonraq and Senna. I think that's how it's always been, since Wan first bonded with Raava; two souls in one body. I could be very, very wrong, but it's the only thing I can think of that makes sense of everything. Because I think that there's been this second part of what it is to be the Avatar, some fragment of the soul of everyone who's ever been host to Raava over the last ten thousand years. And now this other spirit is reaching out to me to try and re-establish the full connection. So far, I can only connect to Kyoshi, Roku and Aang, but I can feel the others, so hopefully it'll just be a matter of time."

"That's... remarkable." Tenzin looked shocked, "If what you're saying is true, then we'd have to revise everything we know about the Avatar Spirit."

"Hey, I could have hallucinated it all." Korra waved him away with one hand, "After everything I've been through, my head is all kinds of messed up in places."

"She still has nightmares. She doesn't like to admit to them, but she still has them every so often." Asami sat perfectly still, her voice calm and level, "And she's still not as fast and agile as she was, not without pushing herself to the point where she's in pain afterwards."

"Korra?" Tenzin turned to look at his former student.

"It's true." The Avatar's head fell, "I... I still have nightmares about what Zaheer did to me, and if I push myself too far, my back, my arms and my legs hurt like hell for hours afterwards." She looked up, "But not this time; I feel... _better_, stronger than I have in a long time. I'm still not back to how I was back before what happened, but better than I have since. I think that reconnecting with some of my past lives helped."

Asami stood, walked over to Korra, pulled her to her feet and enveloped her in a fierce hug, tears running down her cheeks. Korra returned the hug, overjoyed that she she could share such a monumental moment in her life with the woman she loved.

"Damn it." Asami pulled back slightly, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Just when I think I've got you pegged, you go and do something else to remind me just how truly remarkable you are."

"I'm still me, and nothing about _us_ has changed." Korra assured her, standing up on tip-toes to rest her forehead against her wife's, "I know that this is something I have to deal with, but right now, I all want is to spend some time with you and our children."

"I can understand that." Opal smiled as she lifted her daughter onto her lap as Bolin stood behind them, resting a bandaged hand on his wife's shoulder.

Poppy giggled, then casually drew the tears away from Asami and Korra's faces and spun them in the air above everyone's head.

"Opal, honey," Bolin looked up in utter surprise, "why is our daughter waterbending?"

"Crap: I was kind of hoping that I'd dodged the bolder on this." Toph stood in the doorway, a surprised Lin behind her, "She gets that from Opal's side of the family, from her great-grandfather. Suyin's father, to be precise."

"You know who Suyin's father is then?" Tenzin asked.

"Watch it, air-boy; you're not too old to go over my knee!" Toph shot him a deadly look, "Yes, I know who Suyin's father is. I've _always_ known who he is." She crossed the room and sat down, a conflicted look on her face, "But there are reasons, good reasons, why we kept it a secret."

"_We_?" Lin asked, shocked to see this side of her mother.

"I only ever told four other people the truth, and of the five of us, I'm the only one left now." Toph thought deeply for a moment, "Send a message to Zaofu; tell Suyin to get down here. If I'm going to air my dirty laundry, I'm only going to do it once, and she deserves to hear this from me."

* * *

><p>It took four days for the Metal Clan airship carrying Suyin to arrive at the Southern Air Temple. At first Suyin had been unwilling to travel so far on such short notice, but once Lin told her exactly what had happened, she had dropped everything and grabbed the first available ship. After assuring herself that Opal and her family were safe, she demanded the truth from her mother, so Toph called them all together again the main dining room, one of the few places with room enough for everyone to sit together. Lin closed the doors and windows, making sure they had privacy.<p>

"The reason why we, why _I_, kept the identity of Suyin's father a secret was because he was married." Toph explained, then held up a hand to silence all the questions that were being asked, "Yes, I know; you all think that I'm a terrible person for having an affair with a married man. But it wasn't like that."

"Who was it?" Suyin asked, forcing herself to remain calm, "Who's my father?"

"You father was," Toph took a deep breath and closed her eyes, even though it made no difference to her, "Sokka."

"_**WHAT?**_" Everyone gathered around the table spoke as one.

"I think you can now understand why we kept it a secret for so long." Toph managed a shy smile, "Yes, Sokka. He and Suki were two of my best friends, and believe me, I never had any intention of trying to come between them."

"Then what happened?" Tenzin asked, trying to deal with the news, "How did the two of you end up... with Suyin?"

"Well, like I said, Sokka and Suki were two of my best friends. They were very supportive when I had Lin, and we use to spend a lot of time together, just hanging-out like old times." Toph explained, "Don't get me wrong; I loved your parents, but you can remember just how your mother and I used to rub each other the wrong way. I never really had that problem with Sokka or Suki. And one night, when Lin was about five, they came over for dinner. Later on, after I'd put Lin to bed, the three of us got talking, and drinking. And then there was more talking and drinking, until we got onto the disaster that was my love-life." Toph blushed, "The exact chain of events is still a little hazy, but I suddenly felt Suki kiss me, and everything got _really_ complicated _really_ quickly."

There was a moment of pure silence as everyone around the table dealt with the image that was now lodged firmly in their minds. Lin and Suyin shuddered, while Opal looked decidedly pale.

"It was a one-off, something that we agreed to never talk about again when we woke up together in my bed the following morning. Which was fine, until I discovered that I was pregnant." Toph shrugged, "Given how long it had been since I'd been with anyone else... well, it was clear who the father was. I told Sokka and Suki, made it clear to them that I didn't expect anything from them, but that I was going to keep the baby. We told Katara and Aang, figuring that it'd only be a matter of time before they worked it out for themselves. Given the fact that Sokka was the father, we figured there was at least a chance that the child, that Suyin, would be a waterbender. If that had been the case, we all agreed that Sokka and Suki would adopt her, but when she turned out to be an earthbender like me, it was decided that it would be better if she stayed with me."

"But why keep it a secret for so long?" Korra asked, somewhat unsure if she had the right to speak up.

"Things were... different, back then. Less forgiving. We were trying to build something new, and I'd already gotten a lot of trouble in the press when I had Lin and wouldn't tell anyone who her father was." Toph raised a hand to silence her older daughter, who was about to speak, "And that's a story for another time. There were a lot of people back then who still saw the United Republic as a house of cards that could come crashing down at any moment, and none of us wanted to rock the boat by allowing the truth to be public. We weren't ashamed, not my any stretch of the imagination, but at the same time, we didn't want the press to blow it up into some kind of scandal if we could avoid it."

"It... explains a lot." There was a thoughtful look on Suyin's face, "Uncle Sokka and Aunt Suki were always there for me when I was a kid. They always had time for me."

"They wanted to be close to you; Suki couldn't have children, despite everything Katara and Aang did to try and help. I sometimes think it might have been better if I _had_ let them adopt you, earthbender or not." Toph sounded sad, "But the five of us had made a pact to take the truth to our graves. And we would have done, had Poppy not decided to throw a spanner in the works and bend the _one_ element that couldn't be easily explained."

**To Be Continued...  
><strong>(_I'm ending this story-arc here, as I want to move on to something else_)


	24. The Talk

_Apologies to those of you who find the title misleading, but I'm running out of ways to include the word _Talk_ or some variation there of that fit the plot.  
><em>_But be warned; we're back to dealing with the issues that could arise from Korra and Asami's relationship, and how they might affect their family._

**The Talk**

Life in the Sato household was often a rushed affair. Between Asami running Future Industries, Korra's duties as the Avatar and three young children, free time together as a family was often in short supply.

But this weekend was different.

Asami didn't have to be at the office, heaving finally learnt to delegate, there were no new crisis calling on Korra to travel half way around the world to deal with, and Senna and Yin didn't have school. This rare convergence of free time allowed for that rarest of thing; a lay-in followed by a family breakfast. As such Korra sat reading the sports section of the paper, the proposed changes to the Pro-Bending League to allow airbenders to play taking up half the space, the rest being filled by a long, rambling rebuttal by Tenzin about how there were still too few airbenders in the world for any to engage in something as petty as pro-bending. Asami had already skimmed the business section; there was little it could tell her that she didn't already know, even if the editorial had irked her somewhat. Due to Hiroshi Sato's involvement with the Equalists, and the secret factories he had built to arm their uprising, Future Industries was one of the largest manufacturer of weapons and military equipment in the United Republic. They held patents on Mecha-Tanks, biplanes and military airships, were the primary suppler to both Water Tribe, as well as the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. Even the United Republic and the newly reborn Air Nation bought at least some equipment from them, even if the latter mainly looked to them for logistical and communications equipment. And try as she may to expand the more peaceful areas, such as the Satomobiles, which remained the core of their business, Future Industries was increasingly being seen as an arms manufacturer.

Suffice to say, that was not the legacy she had wanted to leave her children.

Korra wished there was something she could do to help, but Asami was insistent that they do everything they could to avoid making it look they were trying to use her wife's status as the Avatar to gain a business advantage. And for all her power, even Korra can't stop the nations of the world wanting weapons, even if they can't fully explain why they need them. The Hundred Year War ended a lifetime ago, the almost war between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom was averted by Avatar Aang and his friends, and the Earth Kingdom Civil War is finally behind them. Yes, there are still problems in the world, such as the Red Lotus, which is more like an endlessly persistent weed than a beautiful flower, but that's hardly the kind of threat you need fleets of battleships and a sky full of airships to defend against.

But again, or all her power, Korra can't make people see what they just will not see.

So instead she just keep running around the globe, trying to keep everything her predecessor built from falling apart. The Air Nation and the White Lotus help; they can be almost everywhere at once, often dealing with an issue without the need for Korra to take a direct role. She had found herself spending more and more time in her office, organising teams and drafting mission statements. Part of her misses being out in the thick of it, and every now and then she likes to head off on some minor errant, just to remind people that she is the Avatar for the entire world, not just Republic City. But not too often, because time spent away from home is not time spent at home with her family. She couldn't help but wonder just how the other Avatars managed, and made a mental note to ask them next time she entered the Avatar State to commune with them.

"Ma," Yin sat toying with her porridge, her tone of voice indicating there is something on her mind, "can I ask you something?"

"Of cause you can." Korra looked at her daughter over the top of her newspaper, "What's on your mind, Firefly?"

"Are we..." the little girl hesitated, something she was not known for, "are we a proper family?"

The room fall silent, Asami slowly turning from where she had been burping Aang after Korra had nursed him. She looked at her wife with a raised eyebrow, wondering if this is the continuation of some previous conversation she was unaware of, only to find a look of complete and utter surprise on the Avatar's face.

"What makes you ask that, sweetie?" Korra asked, doing her best to hide the shock she was feeling.

"Li at school said we're not a proper family because Mommy and Daddy don't live together. She said that it was..." Yin paused, her brow wrinkling as she tried to remember the exact word, "unnatural, for us to have both a Mommy and a Mama. Then Luna said that her Mommy and Daddy don't live together, and that she has a Mama who lives with her Daddy, but Li said that that wasn't the same thing, and that Mommy's and Mama's weren't supposed to live together."

Korra and Asami exchanged looks; they'd been half expecting this ever since their daughters started at school, but they'd hoped that they'd have a few more years, preferably until they were mature enough to understand at least some of the complexities of human life. They at least had a head-start in that Senna and Yin had seen Korra, Kuvira and Opal when they were pregnant, so at least had a partial understanding of where babies came from, if not the fine details. But that didn't mean that they were ready to explain the far more complex nature of human sexuality, and certainly not the rather complex way in which they and their youngest brother came to be.

"Well, sometimes you have a Mommy and a Daddy who love each other and have children together, sometimes a Mommy has children all on her own, like Miss Toph did with your Aunty Lin and her sister Suyin." Asami did her best to explain while patting her son, hoping that he wouldn't decide to bring up his entire breakfast all down her back, "And sometimes you get a Mommy and a Mama, or a Daddy and a Pop, who love each other and want to have children, just like your Mama and I. And your Daddy, who is one of our bestest friends in the whole world helped us, and he loves you and your sister and Aang just as much as he does Sen."

"We know this must be very confusing for you; it confuses us at times, and we're so old we're practically ancient!" Korra laughed, trying to make light of everything, "It must feel very strange to spend most of your time here with us, then go to stay with your Daddy, Aunty Kuvira and Sen. But no matter what anyone at school might tell you, we are as much a family as anyone else. We just have a few more people in ours than most."

"Oh." Yin nodded, then smiled, "Okay."

"Now that's all done with, why don't you two go and get changed and we're all go to the park for ice cream?" Asami suggested with her biggest smile, "And if you're both really good, maybe we'll go see a Mover afterwards?"

Yin and Seena cheered as the prospect of a day at the park with ice-cream and a Mover, and after kissing their parents, ran upstairs to their room to change.

"You know, the day will come when we can't deflect every question they ask with ice-cream and a matinée." Korra warned, putting the paper down, "I think we're going to have to have Mako and Kuvira over for dinner one night soon so we can formulate a plan."

"That's a very good idea." Asami nodded in agreement, "Any idea who this Li girl is?"

"If I remember the briefing paper their security detail provided, the only Li in their class is the daughter of the deputy-ambassador from the Fire Nation." Korra racked her brains for more details, "Very conservative, very outspoken; borderline Ozai Apologist, who only got the job due to family connections."

"Oh, him. He keeps talking down to me because I'm 'just a woman' who 'couldn't possible understand the complexities of the real world'. I have to keep resisting the urge to introduce him to my electric glove." Asami gritted her teeth at the memory of her past encounters with the man, "What about this Luna?"

"Her mother works at the Water Tribe Cultural Centre." Korra explained, "Her father and step-mother live in one of the settlements just outside the north pole."

"Score one for your people being more accepting, I guess." Asami shrugged.

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Korra frowned, "I still have a few friends down south, and they let me know things that my parents tend to let pass. Like the fact that there are those down there who disapprove of our marriage. Not because you're a woman, I hasten to add, but because, well, you're an outsider."

"Excuse me?" Asami asked, her face and voice suddenly devoid of any discernible emotion.

"There are those down there who apparently feel that I should have looked to the Water Tribe for a partner, regardless of their sex." Korra buried her head in her hands, "They feel that, since the end of the Hundred Year War, we've allowed ourselves to mix too freely with the other nations, and that we're losing our identity as a result."

"I don't recall ever hearing about anyone having any problem with Aang and Katara."

"Aang married into the Tribe, where as I'm seen as marrying out of it. It's a double-standard, I know, but they feel that, as the Avatar, I should be setting an example."

"Isn't the Avatar supposed to bring balance and understanding between all the peoples and nations of the world?"

"I never said that it made any sense. Apparently they're petitioning my parents to put pressure on me to move back down south, even more so since Aang was born."

"You mean now that you have a child of your bloodline?"

"That's the way they see it, yes."

"Have I ever said how crazy your people are?"

"I'll have you know that I come from a proud people who take insults to our culture seriously!"

"You do realise that the whole 'naive city girl and the big strong Water Tribe warrior' thing was something I only agreed to because it was your birthday, right?"

"A girl can dream of a repeat performance, right?"

"Not today; we have to take out multicultural, multi-ethnic children to the park for ice-cream..." there was a wet sound from over Asami's shoulder, "...after I quickly go change my top, that is."

**To Be Continued...**


	25. We Could Have Talked All Night

_Things get a little risqué in places this chapter, but nothing too overt  
><em>_It's getting increasingly hilarious to be writing Kuvira as not only a friend, but part of their extended 'family'_

**We Could Have Talked All Night**

"Damn...I have never... spirits!" Asami lay back onto the bed, panting, "I think my heart might have stopped at one point."

"Oh yeah!" Korra lay with her head resting on her wife's abdomen, her skin shiny with sweat, "Seven years married, and we've still got that spark."

"As if there was any doubt." Asami laughed, crunching and relaxing her toes again and again, "But I have to admit, having the power to make the Avatar _beg_ sure does wonders for a girl's ego."

"I didn't beg!" Korra protested, then reran the last few hours through her mind, "Okay, I may have begged a _little_. But you were the one screaming my name so loud I though you were going to break the windows."

"Hey, you've been promising me this little get away ever since the girls were born." Asami rolled over, grabbed her wife and pinned her to the bed, "And it's true what they say you know; Ember Island is a magical place."

"I'm just happy to be somewhere were we don't have to worry about waking the kids." Korra smiled as Asami's hair tickled her nose, "So, feeling better?"

"I'm... getting there." Asami lay full length on top of the Avatar, their naked bodies pressing against each-other in interesting ways, "It's not exactly something I'm looking forward to."

"He's your father, 'sami." Korra wrapped her arms around the woman she loved in a way that was more to do with offering comfort and support than anything else, "You knew this day would come eventually."

"You know, considering what we spent the last... spirits, is it dawn already?" Asami looked out over the balcony to where the sun was starting to rise up out of the ocean, "Considering we just spent the _entire night_ doing all those wicked and depraved things to each other, do you really think _now_ is the best time to discuss my father?"

"It's like Kuvira once told us; you'd be surprised what people are willing to open up about after sex." Korra reminded her, "He's your father, the grandfather of our children, who he's never met, and he's being released from prison. You need to process that."

"I don't think I did much 'processing' last night." Asami laughed, then nodded, "I know, but it's just that I still can't shake the feeling that his supposed 'rehabilitation' is all part of some scheme he has going. I know it must sound horrible of me to say this, but I still don't trust him. Spirits, Korra, he tried to _kill me_. And he would have killed you, Mako, Bolin, most of our friends and family, given half a chance."

"I know he hurt you, and I'm not just talking about physically, but you need closure." Korra reached up and brushed her wife's hair out of the way, "You sided with me, a near total stranger, against your only family and were forced to give up everything you had. And then when he offered you a chance to go back, you still turned him down. There's a strength within you that I've always admired, but there's also a sensitivity. And if you don't at least try to come to terms with your father's past actions, then it's going to haunt you for the rest of your life."

"...I hate it when you get all logical on me." Asami pouted, "Is this how it's going to be from now on? Every time you have something you want to discuss with me, you're either going to get pregnant or treat me to a romantic getaway and a night of mind-blowing sex? Because if it's the latter, I don't have a problem with it."

"I have to admit, I do find the idea appealing." Korra smiled slyly, "No, this little vacation is something we've been promising each other for a long time, and the world is final at a point where its Avatar can take a few days off to spoil her wife. Or rather, raid her wife's bank account to spoil them both."

"I've told you: that money is as much yours as it is mine." Asami pouted again, this time only half-joking, "And what's the point of having all that money if it's just going to sit in a bank? And thanks to my fathers little secret off-shore accounts, it's not like we're going to run out any time soon."

"You made that money through your company..."

"And you're the Avatar, a position that brings with it a lot of hard work but unfortunately no fixed income, and I have never cared less about that. Leaving aside the fact that I am absolutely besotted with you, I want to help you. I'd want to help you even if we weren't married, or if we'd never met. I _believe_ in the Avatar, I always have, and given the fact that you won't let me bust some heads these days, the very least I can do is make your day-to-day life as comfortable as I can."

"You're sexy when your compassionate, do you know that?"

"Down girl; not all of us have the Avatar Spirit's staying power. I'm going to need something to eat, a lot of water and at least a couple of hours sleep before I'm good to go again."

"So... breakfast in bed?"

"Korra my love," Asami closed her eyes and smiled, "you just read my mind."

"Well then," Korra grinned as she rolled them over and kissed her wife on the nose, "I guess I should go do something about that."

Leaving her wife somewhat reluctantly, Korra grabbed a robe off of the floor and made her way down to the kitchen, smiling. The house was small enough to feel cosy, but big enough to have room for their entire family, and had access to a small, secluded and above all very private beach. All that had come at a cost, and Korra was still having trouble getting use to the idea that she could afford such extravagances every now and then. Asami had made it very clear from the get-go that she considered her personal fortune as theirs, all be it with the understanding that Future Industries was _her_ domain. And Korra had no problem with that; the business world a total mystery to the Avatar, while Asami had spent her entire life preparing to take over the corporation that her father had founded.

But there was still the issue that Korra often had trouble understanding the true value of money.

Her time with the White Lotus at the South Pole had been geared more towards her duties as the Avatar and her training as a bender, with little time left for finance. It wasn't until she'd arrived in Republic City that she'd really been exposed to the concept of having to earn money to pay for something as basic as a roof over her head and food on the table. Even then, Tenzin had taken her in, sheltering her somewhat from the hash realities of life. She'd had some exposure, for sure, but in many ways it was still an alien concept to her. Money was useful to have, but after a certain point, it was just numbers on a page. The idea that she not only had money, but had more of it than almost anyone else in the world was still something she was struggling to get her head around, even after years of marriage to Asami. But when she had heard about a house for sale on Ember Island, one that offered them the privacy and security their family needed, she hadn't even thought about the cost. Asami had been surprised, in both a good way and a bad way. Good, in that it was the perfect holiday home for their family, somewhere they could escape and just enjoy being together. The downside was that they could have bought an entire apartment block in Republic City for the same money. She'd taken Korra aside and made her promises to talk to her next time she wanted to write a cheque with that many zeroes on it.

Still, what was done was done, and in Korra's mind at least, the house was worth every last Yuan.

Setting the kettle to boil for tea, Korra put on some toast and gathered some fresh fruit in a bowl and put it all on a tray to take back upstairs. She was somewhat sad to see that Asami was no-longer laying naked on their bed, a sight she could have spent all day looking at, but instead had found her own robe and was sitting out on the balcony. Placing the try on the table, she joined her wife on the wicker love-seat, wrapping one arm around her so their bodies were pressed up against each other. Asami smiled and picked up a grape, which she playfully fed to Korra, the Avatar grinning as she slowly sucked it from between her wife's fingers. It was the kind of overt display of affection that they loved to indulge in, but tended to avoid at home, less they have to try and explain to their daughter why it was okay for grown-ups to act like that, but not children.

But Mako and Kuvira had the children, allowing Korra and Asami their long postponed second honeymoon, which in many ways made up for the fact that Korra had still been recovering when they'd had their first. Time alone, all be it with their security detail hidden away spirits knew where, was something to treasure, and they fully intended to make the most of it. They had issues to face back home, Hiroshi Sato's impending release from prison being just one of them, but that was all far, far away from the here and now.

"Any plans for the day?" Korra nibbled at Asami's ear.

"I thought I might get in some sunbathing," her wife replied coyly, "maybe a little swimming."

"But 'sami, you forgot to pack your swimsuit!" Korra warned.

"Well then," Asami let her robe fall down off of her shoulders, "I guess I'll just have to spend the entire day naked."

"Why Mrs Sato, how positively scandalous of you!" Korra jerked back, one hand placed over her mouth with mock shock, "What ever will people think?"

"Hopefully they'll think very, _very_ dirty thoughts, Mrs Sato." Asami leaned in for a kiss, "I love you."

"Yeah you do." Korra smiled as she kissed her wife, "And I love you too."

**To Be Continued...**


	26. Time To Talk

_I had a plot-arc planned leading off of the last chapter, but it was just too damn _dark_ for this story, so I decided to cut it and will just use some of the less angst-ridden bits._

_Also, it has been revealed that the Fire Lord's name is Izumi... but this is an AU where Korra and Asami are a lesbian couple and Kuvira less Metal Hitler and more deadpan snarker, so whatever._

**Time To Talk**

Korra could swear; she'd grown up in the South Pole, a place where life was hard and often both short and violent. As such it wasn't uncommon to hear someone cussing the air blue in a way that would have made a sailor blush anywhere else in the world, and she'd learnt from her father, an acknowledged master of the art of creative swearing. It had taken the White Lotus Society years to teach her to reign in her more colourful language, allowing her to enter what was deemed Polite Society. But even she was stunned by the seemingly endless stream of profanity, obscenities and curses that Asami had launched into when she saw the reporters waiting outside the prison.

It was probably for the best that they hadn't brought the children.

There as some understandable public interest in the release of Hiroshi Sato, arguable the most famous of the Equalists to be arrested and impassioned. Many had argued at the time that fifteen years was too lenient, and there were those who felt that his early release on ground of good behaviour was a mistake on the part of the Attorney General. Some even went as far as to call it a publicity stunt aimed at bolstering her upcoming run for the Presidency against Raiko, who had been unwilling to block the move less he look petty.

Whatever the reasons, Hiroshi was being released from prison early, all be under his daughters supervision. Korra wasn't sure exactly why Asami had agreed to that, but she had, and now they were there to collect him from the prison. Korra felt more than a little troubled about the entire thing herself; she still had occasional nightmares about Amon and the Equalists, but they were thankfully growing fewer and less frequent. And she hadn't actually seen her father-in-law since his sentencing; she'd been one of the prosecutions key witnesses, and while she had taken no pleasure in helping convict him, she hadn't lost any sleep over it either. She had contemplated going to see him in prison, but after seeing how Asami's infrequent visits had affected her, she decided against it. But that meant that she had no idea how he was going to react to seeing her. According to he reports she'd read, he claimed to be repentant for his past crimes, and was looking for the chance to move on with his life in a more constructive direction. He apparently accepted his daughter sexuality, but there was little hard evidence about his feelings towards Korra herself, as both the Avatar who had crushed the uprising and as his daughter-in-law. Just to be on the safe side, Korra had decided not to rub his face in her relationship with Asami; whatever else he might be, he was still her father, and Korra doubted he'd want to be reminded what the two of them got up to in the privacy of their bedroom. Or any one of a number of other places where they had felt the need to expresses their love for one another physically.

As such, she stood holding Asami's hand to offer support, but made sure that they were standing slightly apart as the prison gates started to open. Korra had seen the photos, but they still hadn't brought home to her just how much prison had changed Hiroshi. He had lost the excess weight he'd been carrying, but he also seemed slightly shorter, his hair streaked with grey. But despite that, he carried himself with a quiet dignity, stopping to shake hands with the two guards escorting him, before stepping out to face the press. Korra could feel Asami tense up beside her, her pulse racing; all her fears over he fathers rehabilitation rested on how he reacted now he was free to say what he truly thought. Fortunately, from what Korra could hear, he seemed to be repeating what he'd said before; that he was sorry for his involvement in the Equalists, that he regretted the choices he had made, and wanted to find a way to try and repay society for the trouble he had caused. Asami grunted, but maintained a perfectly calm expression for the cameras.

Having finished with the press, Hiroshi made his way over to the two women.

"Asami." He bowed slightly to his daughter, "Thank you for your support."

"Someone managed to convince me that I needed to give you a second chance for my own spiritual well-being." his daughter managed a warm smile for the press, but her tone of voice told a different story, "And remember, I will be watching you."

"I understand your reluctance to believe me; I have much to make up for." Hiroshi nodded and turned to the Avatar and offered a hand, "It is good to see you again, Korra. I wish to apologise to you personally for my actions eight years ago; I was consumed by misplaced anger. My words and actions were inexcusable, but I hope that, one day, you will find it within you to forgive me."

"Everyone deserves a second chance." Korra took the offered hand and leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "You ever hurt Asami like that again, and I will kill you."

She stepped back and smiled sweetly, letting her words sink in.

"I am glad to see that my daughter has found someone with such strong feelings for her to spend her life with." Hiroshi seemed unphased by the threat, "I hope that I never give her cause to regret giving me this second chance."

"Well then, now that we're all best friends again." Asami smiled, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she gestured towards their waiting car, "Let's get you back home, shall we?"

Korra took the small suitcase that held what few personal possession Hiroshi owned and led the way over to the parked Satomobile. It was one of the _Harmony_ line that Asami had designed, all be it highly customised with a much more powerful engine, run-on-flat tires, armour plating and reinforced glass. Korra had seen Asami throw it around the test track in the mansion grounds as if it was one of the racers she still tinkered with, and was sure that it would out-run anything it couldn't just push out of the way. They had three _Harmonies_ fitted to the same specifications, an unfortunate necessity given the enemies they had made down the years. Asami climbed behind the wheel, and Korra stood to one side, waiting to see where Hiroshi would choose to sit. He seemed to hesitate for a while, then opened the rear door and climbed in, reaching out for his case. Korra handed it to him, then climbed in beside her wife, automatically securing her seat belt. Asami pulled off without a word, their protective detail keeping pace in the lead and tail cars.

"An impressive vehicle." Hiroshi commented as they joined the highway that ringed Republic City on three sides, "I can see why it sells so well."

Asami grunted, earning her a sharp look from Korra.

"We're having to expanding the factory to keep up with demand." the engineer commented, keeping both eyes firmly on the road ahead, "I have a team working on a more rugged, all terrain version for the North and South Poles. Cars like this are okay in the major settlements, but they tend to get bogged down if you venture too far out, and not everyone wants a snowmobile."

"That sounds like an interesting project." Hiroshi nodded, "Would it be possible for me to see the plans?"

"...I'll consider it." Asami relented, earning her an approving smile from Korra.

The rest of the drive was conducted in silence, Hiroshi content to simply look out at the changes to the city during his incarceration, and neither Asami nor Korra overly keen to engage him in conversation just yet. There was a crowed outside the front gate, something that had been the norm for a long time after Korra and Asami first got married, but had thankfully faded to just the occasional gawker or paparazzi looking for a candid photo. But now they were back in force, and it was clear from the placards they carried that they were not happy to see Hiroshi.

"I've arranged for you to have your own security detail." Asami informed her father as she drove through the gates and up the driveway, "Non-benders, but all highly skilled, including a couple of former Kyoshi Warriors, so you'll be perfectly safe."

"I apologise for the trouble." Her father bowed his head again, "Perhaps it would be easier if I lived elsewhere?"

"The terms of your release place you in my care for the next two years; I am legally required to keep you where I can see you." Asami pulled up in front of the house, "That said, for the sake of all involved, you'll be living in the guest house. You can have the run of the main house and grounds, within reason, but I should warn you that I turned over your 'workshop' to the White Lotus Society, and as you are far from their favourite person, you might want to avoid going there."

Hiroshi got out of the car and looked up at the house that had once been a monument to his success, but now represented just how much he had lost.

"I see you have put a lot of thought into this." He commented.

"I had a very good teacher who taught me to keep my friends close... and my enemies closer." Asami eyed his suspiciously, "Just remember; one word from me, and you're back in prison."

"I am aware of that fact." Her father nodded. "So, when do I get to meet my grandchildren?"

"Mako and Kuvira have them for the day." Korra moved between her wife and her father-in-law, "They'll be back in time for dinner, but we felt it best if you got settled in before things get too... emotional."

"That, and I wasn't sure I wanted to trust you around my children right away." Asami strode off into the house, "There's a tailor in the guest house to measure you for some new cloths. It would be impolite to keep him waiting."

"She's... under a lot of pressure at work right now." Korra did her best to apologise.

"I hurt her, and our relationship will never go back to the way it was." Hiroshi shook his head, "She doesn't want me here, and I acknowledge and accept that fact. But as much as she may not trust me with your children, my grandchildren, she does not trust me where she can not watch me, waiting for me to slip up."

"Will you?" Korra asked.

"That..." Hiroshi shrugged, his expression unreadable to the Avatar, "That remains to be seen."

**To Be Continued...**


	27. A Little Less Conversation

_Yeah, I finally ran out of 'talk' titles, but managed to keep the theme going.  
><em>_Please keep in mind that about seven to eight years have passed since this story started.  
><em>_You'll understand why later on._

**A Little Less Conversation (A Little More Action, Please)**

"You know, when you asked me to help you 'blow off some steam', this isn't exactly what I was hoping for." Korra lent into the heavy punch-bag, absorbing impact after impact, "There are far more _enjoyable_ ways to work up a sweat, you know."

"Not. In. The. Mood!" Asami punched and kicked the bag as hard as she could, in her mind, the red target replaced by her fathers face, "And I don't think you'd want me doing this to you!"

She leapt into the air, delivering a vicious spin-kick that knocked the bag out of Korra's grip. She landed like a cat and immediately started pummelling it again, accenting every punch with a war-cry. Korra tried to grab the bag, but it was jerking about too violently as her wife unleashed all her frustration into it, not stopping even when her knuckles started to bleed.

"Okay, time-out!" Korra grabbed Asami around the waist and lifted her away from the punch-bag, the engineer giving it one last kick before she was out of range, her anger clouding her to the pain that shot through her foot.

Korra carried Asami over to a bench set against one of the walls of the estates well equipped gym. Once she was sure her wife wouldn't attack the punch-bag again, she undid the binding around her hands to look at the damage.

"You know, I would have thought that someone who spends their days drawing plans and blueprints might want to take better care of heir hands." She commented as she poured some water out of a bottle and bent it over Asami's hands, carefully healing her, "No prizes for guessing what's gotten you so worked up."

"It's just so infuriating!" Asami complained, "He's been paying more attention to the girls then he ever did to me. He even seems accepting of Aang, and I was worried that..."

"He wouldn't accept a grandchild who he wasn't related to by blood?" Korra asked, "It's okay; you can say it. It's the truth, after all."

"Yes, it worried me, okay? Aang is my son, and I love him just as much as I do Senna and Yin. But my father..." Asami shook her head, "When I was younger, not long after my mother died, he gave me this long talk about the importance of family, of the bonds of blood. We didn't have any other family; a few distant cousins, maybe, but no one we were really close to, and he said that that made the connection between us all the more important. 'Blood of my Blood', he called it. For the longest time, I believed him. But then I met you and the others, and I came to realise that family, true family, is what you decide it is." She looked Korra in the eye, "_You_ are my family. You, our children, all our friends, the people who have stood by us through everything. You're the family I have chosen. But my father? I can't see a place for him in there anymore."

"Your father was _very_ angry for a _very_ long time, and that clouded his thinking." Korra finished healing her wife's hands, the noticed the way her ankle was starting to swell, "I think you sprained that." sending the first lot of water flying over into a sink against the far wall, she drew some more out of the bottle and got to work on the injury, "I'm not making excuses for the man, but he is your father, and you owe it to yourself to at least try and fix your relationship with him. Have you thought about inviting him tonight?"

"To a Pro-Bending match?" Asami sounded somewhat surprised as the very notion, "Oh yeah, I'm sure he'd just _love_ that."

"Consider it a test." The Avatar smiled, "A way of seeing if he really has changed."

"Well, when you put it like that..." Asami winced, "Okay, a little less talking and a little more concentrating on my leg, please!"

"I never have a problem concentrating on your legs." Korra wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "Among other things..."

"No!" Asami stopped her before she could take it any further, "Not after that time Senna almost walked in on us in the garage!"

"Look at the two of us; not even thirty, and we're having to tone down the kinky, spontaneous sex because we have kids who can walk and open doors and not be relied on to easily forget what they see." The Avatar chuckled, "I always knew that being the Avatar would bring with it responsibilities, but I never really saw parenthood as one of them."

"You didn't want children of your own when you were younger?" Asami asked, then realised the true implications of what she was saying, "Spirits, you were only _eighteen_ when we got married!"

"Nearly nineteen, and you're less then two years older than I am, so it's not like you're a cradle snatcher." Korra laughed out loud as she finished on her wife's ankle and sent the water over to the sink like she had with the first lot, "Yes, we married young, but we've both known people who married younger and it all worked out."

"Damn you and your Avatar Wisdom!" Asami swatted at Korra playfully, "Anyway, hadn't you better go get ready for your big return to Pro-Bending?"

"Promise your not going to murder the punch-bag?"

"I promise."

* * *

><p>"<em>Good evening, sports fans, and welcome to tonight special charity match between the all-star Future Industries Fire Ferrets, and the reigning champions, the Ember Island Eel Hounds! Tonight match sees the return of three of the biggest names the sport has known in recent years; Mako, Bolin and Avatar Korra, and is brought to you by Flamey-Os Instant Noodles, the noodliest noodles in the United Republic!<em>" the voice of veteran announcer Shiro Shinobi echoed around the cavernous arena and out of radios around the world, "_And what an event it is; it's standing room only here tonight, with a veritable Who's Who of the city turning out to show their support for the new Katara Memorial Hospital being built right here Republic City. From my booth I can see President Raiko and his wife, the lovely Buttercup Raiko, Air Nation leader Tenzin and his family, and down at ring side, Detective Kuvira and Asami Sato with their children and... hold the phone, ladies and gentlemen! Shockingly, we have former Equalist ringleader, Hiroshi Sato, sitting with his daughter and grandchildren in the Fire Ferrets box!_"

A noticeable murmur ran around the arena as the crown all turned to confirm what they were being told with their own eyes. There was a certain amount of booing and heckling, but it soon died down as the two teams entered the arena.

Korra waved to the crowd, who went wild at the prospect of seeing her back in the ring after almost ten years. It hadn't taken much for Bumi and Kya to talk her into donning her old uniform, given the cause that they were raising money for, and Boli had jumped at the opportunity. It had taken a bit of emotional blackmail to get Mako to take part, but not too much; part of him still missed the rush he felt during a match and the roar of the crowd. The three of them knew all too well that it wouldn't be an easy match; while they were all powerful benders in their own right, and knew how to work together, they hadn't played in a competitive match together since their abandoned match against the Wolf Bats. Training had knocked off some of the rust, but there wasn't the same as regular, competitive experience. Even having the Avatar on their team would only carry them so far, given the strict limitations placed on Korra to allow her to take part.

They moved even before their minds fully acknowledged the sound of the buzzer, their bodies remembering the moves that they had drilled into their muscle memory with seemingly endless hours of repetitive training. But it wasn't advised to rely too much on training and instinct, as Korra was reminded when a rock disk shot past her face so close she could almost feel it. So they dug down, calling on all their years of experience, both in the arena and the far more deadly world outside. The Eel Hounds had been crowned champions for the previous three years, and were looking for a chance to cement their place in Pro-Bending history.

The two teams faced-off against each other, and the bell rang.

* * *

><p>"I'm getting too old for this." Mako lay down on the bench, a towel covering his face, "Why did I let you guys talk me into this?"<p>

"It was for a good cause and you know it." Korra sat rubbing her shin where she had taken a nasty hit from an earth-disk, "And you loved every second of it."

"I didn't love getting slapped around the face with a water-whip." The detective pointed out.

"We won, didn't we?" Bolin asked from his own seat on the floor, "And the crowed seemed to enjoy it."

"They probably thought we were holding back to put on a good show." Korra mused, "Spits know, there were a couple of times I wanted to enter the Avatar State and show them what I can _really_ do."

"That would have gone down well." Mako chuckled, "And I can just hear Tenzin rebuking you for using your powers for something like that."

"Spirits, don't even joke." The Avatar winced, "It was harder to talk _him_ into all this than it was either of you two."

There was a knock on the door, and the three turned to look at each other; Korra's White Lotus guards had been stationed outside to give them a chance to recover before attending the reception already underway upstairs, so it was unlikely to be the press, and their families would have just walked right in. at a loss as to who it could be, Korra pulled herself to her feet and walked over to open the door.

"Kai?" The Avatar looked at the young Air Nomad, dressed in his typical robes but lacking his usual cocky smile, "Something wrong?"

"Can I talk to you guys?" Kai glanced up and down the corridor, empty save the White Lotus sentries who know well enough to let him pass without comment, "In private?"

Korra nodded and stepped to one side, allowing him to enter before closing the door. Much to her surprise, the young airbender flipped the lock and pulled on the door a couple of times to make sure it was secure.

"Okay, what have you done _this time_?" Mako asked his surrogate younger brother.

"Don't be so quick to judge!" Bolin leapt to the young man's defence, "He's matured a lot over the last few years; he's not the same young scandalous we met back in the Earth Kingdom. He's..."

"Jinora's pregnant." Kai spoke up suddenly, looking very much like a Cat Deer trapped in the headlights of an oncoming Satomobile, "She's telling her parents right now."

"...he's a dead man walking." Bolin's face fell.

"What. The. _**Hell**_?" Mako almost fell off of his seat, "Didn't we sit down and discuss this, at length, when you two started officially dating? Didn't I cover just how to avoid this sort of thing?"

"This from a man who _also_ knocked-up his girlfriend by accident." Korra pointed out under her breath.

"...accidents happen?" Kai offered, doing his best to make himself look as small as possible.

"Well... shit." Mako deflated like a balloon with a leak, "You love her, right?"

"With all my heart!" Kai insisted.

"Well then, I'm going to give you the same advice my grandmother gave me, all be it with a few minor alterations." Mako walked over to the younger man and slapped him around the back of the head, "You're going to make sure you do the right thing by Jinora and this baby. And if that means you marry her, then so be it. But if I even think that you're going to try and run out on them..."

"If _we_ think that you're going to try and run out on them!" Korra stood beside her friend, arms crossed, a stern expression on her face. Bolin quickly joined them, an triad of intimidation.

"Then we'll beak your arms and legs so you can't airbend, and carry you to the alter ourselves!" Mako finished just as there was a loud banging on the door. He grabbed Kai by the shoulder and spun him around, "Now, time to face the music like a man."

**To Be Continued...  
><strong>(_please remember that Kai and Jinora are in their early twenties by the time this chapter takes place, and are therefore consenting adults_)


	28. Talk Fast

_Sorry for the delay; I had a case of writers block which has hopefully passed.  
><em>_For once, we pick up right where the previous chapter ended. Took me a while to decide upon the exact order of events, but I hope it works.  
><em>_Also, beware of falling bombshells!_

**Talk Fast**

The door exploded inwards, scything across the room, forcing the four occupants to duck. Korra almost entered the Avatar State instinctively, but managed to hold herself back at the last moment. Lin stood in the doorway, the scowl on her face far deeper than normal, the red lines of her scars an almost throbbing scarlet. Her green eyes were narrow, hard, and locked onto Kai at the expense of all else. The young airbender gulped, trying to remind himself that she was almost sixty, while he was barely twenty-two, but then he remembered just how powerful her mother was at _ninety_, and the last few, faint traces of hope vanished.

"I take it you're not looking for an autograph?" Bolin managed a weak chuckle.

Kai was already moving, slipping out of Mako's grasp and making for the other door on the far side of the room that lead to the practice room. He ducked down as a metal cable whipped over his head, then leaped over the second that was aimed at his feat. He was almost within arms reach of the door and safety when it was flung open to reveal Bumi, knife in hand.

"_**YOU!**_" He snarled, grabbing for Kai with his free hand, only to be blocked by a sudden blast of wind from Korra.

"Enough!" The Avatar warned, pointing at both Bumi and Lin.

"That... _boy_ has..." Bumi started.

"We know what he did." Korra managed to keep her voice calm, "And believe me, there's nothing I'd like more than to kick his ass myself, but that wouldn't do any of us any good right now. Certainly not Jinora. Yes, she's pregnant, and yes, he's the father. But as much as it pains me to say this, she's just as much to blame for that as he is."

"Jinora is..." Lin started.

"Jinora is a twenty-two year old Airbending Master and is fully capable of making her own choices and mistakes." Korra insisted, "If, and I mean if, she decides she wants to marry Kai, then I'm sure we're all support them."

"Oh, there is _going_ to be a marriage." Bumi gestured towards Kai with his knife, "Or a funeral."

"Should you really be saying that in front of the Chief of Police?" Bolin asked.

"Justifiable homicide." Lin smiled thinly, "With a little temporary insanity thrown in for good measure."

"_Nobody_ is killing _anybody_. Unless he tries to run, in which case I'll kill him myself." Korra took a deep breath, "Yes, they've... done something without thinking through all the ramifications, but do you really want them to marry _just_ because he got her pregnant? How many unhappy families and broken homes as _that_ sort of thinking created?"

"Too many." A new voice came from the doorway, behind Lin, and everyone looked around in surprise to see Tenzin standing there, a surprisingly calm expression on his face, his voice almost devoid of all emotion, "Come with me, young man; we have much to discuss."

* * *

><p>"What took you guys so long?" Asami asked when Korra, Mako and Bolin finally made it to the reception.<p>

"I'll explain later." Korra looked longingly at the tray of sparking wine a waiter carried past, but shook herself and reached for a glass of ice water instead, "Right now, I just want to try and relax..."

"Relax?" A hand slapped her on the back, almost making her choke on her water, "Who's got time to relax?"

"Varrick?" The Avatar looked around in surprise, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Raiko decided to pardon me for my so-called 'crimes against the United Republic'." The business magnate and inventor made exaggerated quotation marks with his fingers, "So I decided it was time to come back, check out a few old haunts, see just how the city has changed with all these spirit vines everywhere. I had some ideas about how to use them to..."

"That's enough, dear." Zhu Li appeared beside him, the expensive dress she wore doing little to hide her pregnancy, "We talked about that; some things are best left alone."

"You're right, as ever, dear." Varrick put an arm around her and pulled her tight to his side, "I wish you guys had told me just how _awesome_ married life was years ago! Could have saved a whole lot of wasted time."

"Considering we never got invited to the wedding..." Asami pointed out dryly.

"Hey, you ladies should feel honoured." Varrick grinned, "We took a page out of your book and eloped."

"It was very romantic." Zhu Li somehow managed to remain as deadpan as ever.

"So... you guys going to be staying in Republic City?" Korra asked, somewhat worried about how _interesting_ life tended to be with Varrick around.

"No, we'll be heading back to Zaofu in about a week." Varrick shook his head, "My lab's there, and Zhu Li just finished redecorating the house..."

"He blew up the kitchen trying to upgrade the coffee machine." His wife explained, the faintest hint of annoyance creeping into her voice, "I'm still working on the damage his 'ornamental fountain' did to the garden."

"Sounds fun." Korra managed a weak smile.

"Hey guys!" Bolin appeared, draping arm around Korra and Asami, "Mind if I borrow these two? Opal needs a quick word with them."

"Hey, not a problem." Varrick waves them off, his mind already elsewhere, "Hey, is that Dr Lee over there? I really have to get him to take a look at my back..."

He wandered off, Zhu Li rolling her eyes before actually smiling to the others before following her husband.

"I think we may have crated a monster." Korra whispered, "I'm not sure which one I want their kid to take after."

"It's going to be interesting." Bolin agreed, then started guiding them over to one of the windows, "I wasn't joking, by the way; Opal really does want to talk to you guys."

They make their way towards the balcony overlooking the bay, a cordon of Kyoshi Warriors stand guard to keep the inquisitive away, but part as the three approach. Korra notes it as a sad testament to the state of the world: as the head of one of the Sir Temples, Opal was a senior figure in the Air Nation, an obvious target for those opposed to their resurgence and ongoing mission of peace. She was also a Beifong, her family's fame, wealth and power growing with every year as Zaofu continues to expand, making more than a few enemies of their own. Gone were the days when they could walk around the city, lost amid the crowd. Gone are the carefree days of their youth when the future was open before them, lost in the sweeping changes that had taken place since Korra first arrived in Republic City.

Yet again, the Avatar had changed the world, and she still wasn't sure it is for the better.

"Korra! Asami!" Opal rose from her seat to greet them, somewhat unsteadily and with the help of an Air Acolyte; her second pregnancy, twins, according to Kya, having taken its toll on her slender frame, "It's so good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too." The Avatar embraced her friend, "You look amazing."

"I look like a sky-bison." Opal laughed, turning to embrace Asami, "But I have no one to blame but myself; I always said I wanted a large family."

"You're not the only one." There was a sad hint to Asami's voice that Opal missed, but Korra didn't, "I wish you could have stayed at the house with us; there's plenty of room."

"You have... things to work out." The airbender responded, "You need your space."

For a moment, Korra was worried that Asami was going to say something, but she held her tongue and just smiled.

"Hey guys!" Mako arrived with Kuvira, "Good to see the old gang back together again."

"A little less of the 'old', thank you." Asami swatted at his arm playfully, "But yes, it's been too long."

Opal and Kuvira exchanged glances; while they loved their others halves completely, there were times when they felt like outsiders. There was abound between Korra, Asami, Mako and Bolin that neither time nor distance was able to break. But it was also part of who they were, and they had learned to live with it.

"What kept you guys, anyway?" Kuvira asked, "I thought I was going to have to organise a search party."

"Well now" Mako took a deep breath, "It started with a knock on the door..."

* * *

><p>Korra eased herself into bed, her body still somewhat sore, but not nearly as bad as it had been. She smiled as she watched Asami go through her nightly ritual; taking off her jewellery and make-up, then combing out her hair before brushing her teeth. The weather had stared to turn, so she was dressed in a set of pyjamas rather than her regular slip, but Korra didn't mind, least not because they were both far too tired to consider anything romantic. Instead, it was the simple fact that she was the only one who got to see Asami like this, with all her defences down. Given her lack of experience before the two of them had gotten involved, Korra had no idea how the little things, like having your toothbrush in the same glass as someone else's, could make you feel.<p>

Asami was hers, and she was Asami's, and that wasn't something she'd trade for all the tea in Ba Sing Se.

Finishing up, Asami climbed into bed beside her wife and snuggled up in Korra's arms.

"It was good to have the old gang back together again." she smiled, "We should have them all round for dinner one evening before Bolin and Opal head back down south."

"That sounds like an excellent idea." Korra nodded in agreement, "But next time Kya asks for help raising money for some charity or another, can we just write a cheque?"

"I think that could be arranged." Asami laughed.

Korra remained silent for a moment, working up the courage to broach a subject she knew from bitter experience could easily start a fight.

"I heard what you said to Opal earlier." She did her best to keep her voice low and calm, "You'd like more children, wouldn't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" there was a sad note to Asami's voice, "Yes, I'd love to have another child, but Kuvira made it clear that Mako wasn't going to be an option anymore, and we've always said that we want the children to be related by blood. So unless you think you can talk Opal round to letting us 'borrow' Bolin..."

"No, that wasn't what I was thinking." Korra took a deep breath, "What if there was another way? A way for us, for _you_, to have another child, and still have them related to Senna, Yin and Aang?"

"I don't understand?" Asami turned her head to look at her wife, a confused look on her face, "Don't tell me Azula and Ty Lee let you in on their little secret?"

"What; the fact that Fire Lady Mai got Zuko blind-drunk then misdirected him to Ty Lee's bed?" The Avatar asked, noticing the shocked expression on Asami's face, "Aang, that is to say _Avatar_ Aang, let me in on _that_ little secret a while ago. And before you ask, it appears that Azula chooses to remain ignorant of the truth."

"Okay... that's something I could have lived without now having running through my mind in vivid detail." Asami winced, "But if there isn't some super double secret Avatar ritual you've unearthed, what are we going to do?"

"There was an option I considered when I first thought about us starting a family, but I put I out of my mind when we decided that we'd both want to carry the children. But after the trouble I had delivering Aang, I think we both know that it's probably a good idea if I don't risk having any more children so you'll be the one to carry it, and this is entirely hypothetical, something I have _never_ discussed with _anyone_ and might not even be possible for a whole host of reasons and I'm starting to babble." Korra took a deep breath to centre herself, "If we want to have another child, one that's still related to the others... what about my father?"

**To Be Continued...  
><strong>(_consider the bombshell dropped_)


End file.
